We Live Together
by flashycrier
Summary: All Hinata wanted was to save money for his mother's surgery so when he accepted a deal proposed to him, Hinata had to find out that not only will he deal with a three-year old girl, he had Iwaizumi, Oikawa, Kageyama, and Sugawara to live with. Yeah, Hinata knows that he'll have a hard time but what else can he do? He has to.
1. Problematic Housemates

"Please take care of my daughter."

Hinata watched as Mr. Yano bowed to him. The younger male smiled politely before bowing as well.

After he found out from his younger sister that their mother's condition had worsened, Hinata decided to accept the job that Mr. Yano offered him: taking care of his daughter, Miho. And in exchange, Mr. Yano would let Hinata live in his share house without needing to pay rent. The only reason that any of this was happening at all was because Mr. Yano had heard from his three-year-old daughter that Hinata was her favorite teacher. So since Mr. Yano was already searching for a babysitter to cover for him until he got off work late at night, it seemed only natural to propose the deal to Hinata. And, fortunately, Hinata accepted.

"Don't worry! I'll take care of her!" Hinata assured him with a kind smile. He glanced at the share house and noted that a coin laundry was beside the entrance.

"You can enter the house now. Miho's inside and she's waiting for you." Mr. Yano said and Hinata nodded as he bid goodbye to the older male. As Hinata watched the older male leave, he couldn't help but think about how young the man looked but Hinata pushed the thought away and went inside. Once he did, he saw that there was an entryway and three pair of shoes placed in front of the door. Two of those pairs looked to be for an adult male while the other one was certainly for a young girl. Seeing this, Hinata took a deep breath before entering the main house.

Twisting the door knob, Hinata pushed the door open and once he did, he caught a glimpse of the hallway. Two doors were on the left and three doors were on the right. Hinata saw that the doors had labels on them and quickly found his room—the middle door on the right.

Hinata closed the door quietly behind him so he wouldn't disrupt the peace inside. Afterwards, he slowly snuck through the hallways and towards the end of the corridor where it looked like the dining room was. When Hinata narrowed his eyes, he saw another door at the right end of the hallway. Wondering what it was, Hinata headed there and as he did, he heard a gasp. When he looked to his left, Hinata saw two men and Miho sitting on the sofa in front of the television. Behind them was a divider that separated the living room and the kitchen as well as the dining room. Hinata gulped and glanced at Miho before breaking out into a smile.

"Miho-chan!" he greeted and saw the kid lurch towards him, beaming.

"It's Shou-kun!" Miho said as she clung on Hinata's leg. She gave such an enthusiastic response that Hinata totally forgot about the two men in the living room.

"That's Shou-kun?!"

Hinata blinked before looking at the person who said that. Once he saw who it was, he froze. In the living room were Oikawa Tooru and Iwaizumi Hajime. His old rivals.

Oikawa scoffed at the appearance of the one who defeated him on his last year in high school whereas Iwaizumi merely rubbed his temples. Hinata swallowed again as he backed away, hands up apologetically. Knowing that he had no one with him at the moment, Hinata began to question his safety and wondered if his death was imminent. Surely Oikawa and Iwaizumi were still angry about losing to him last year…

"Hinata Shouyo." Iwaizumi muttered, which made the younger male flinch in surprise.

Hinata straightened up and said, "Yes?!"

Miho eyed her teacher and wondered why he was acting scared at the moment.

Glancing at the youngest man in the room, Iwaizumi asked, "Are you the only one moving here?"

Hinata nodded fervently out of fear and nervousness. Aware that he was making the younger man scared, Iwaizumi stood up and went to his room but as he passed by Hinata, he caught a glimpse of the shorter male staring at him apprehensively before looking away in a hurry. Iwaizumi heaved a sigh before heading to his room, which was the first door on the left side of the hallway otherwise known as room 201.

Meanwhile, Oikawa coldly stared at the orange-haired male in front of him.

"Are you the new tenant?" the brunette questioned aloofly as he leaned on the couch comfily while crossing his leg like he was the boss of the gang. Once again, Hinata felt intimidated so he lowered his head before nodding. Oikawa huffed in pride when he witnessed how frightened the younger male was before staring at Miho. "Miho-chi, is he the teacher you said you liked?" he asked sweetly and when the kid nodded with a naive smile, Oikawa hummed in response.

"Hinata," he called earning a wince from Hinata, "can I call you Shou-kun as well?"

Hinata gazed at Oikawa, baffled. "But... why? Aren't you angry at me?" he questioned, his words dripping with confusion.

Smiling charmingly, Oikawa blurted, "It's fine, it's fine! That's all in the past!"

Hinata smiled gratefully before bowing then raising his head. "You can call me anything you want! I'm not picky! Also, please take care of me!" Hinata greeted happily while Oikawa snorted at how energetic the younger male was. The brunette then stopped when he recalled one thing.

"But Miho-chi, didn't your father say that there's two new people who'll be living in here?" Oikawa prompted.

Miho blinked before saying, "Yeah! Papa said that but Miho doesn't know who it is but the new tent is a man!"

"It's tenant Miho-chan, not tent." Hinata corrected earning him a nod from the kid. He then pondered about the other tenant and wondered who it was. He hoped that it was someone kind. Hinata had literally felt his lifespan shorten when he found out that his two former opponents were his housemates so a person who was at least friendly and kind would definitely be beneficial for him.

Oikawa observed the younger male when suddenly, his phone rang. Oikawa instantly answered the call when he saw the number.

"Yes? Who is –"

"Tooru-kun! You said you don't have a client right now, right?" the person from the other side asked.

"Yeah, I don't have one right now." Oikawa replied lazily as he stood up and headed to the dining room to get away from the television noise.

"Guess what? I got you a client! You played volleyball before so I got one who's playing it! He's a setter so I thought that you'd like to be his sports agent!" the person exclaimed cheerily. Oikawa felt his lips tug upwards as he heard that.

"Really?" he asked, curiosity evident from his words.

"Yeah! I'm with him. He's a hit in the sports world and he's willing to pay you a lot! We're at the cafe near your place. The one that sells cake and breads!"

Oikawa grinned as he heard that. He told the person to wait and that he'd be there before hanging up. He then headed to his room—the one next door to Iwaizumi's—and after a short while, he came back out in another outfit.

"Shou-chan, I'll be leaving! Take care of the house!" the brunette said before running out of the house.

Hinata watched the older male exit and began musing about what Oikawa's occupation was.

* * *

Oikawa pushed his hair back when he saw Inui. The brunette then headed over to his co-worker as he brushed off his clothes to make sure that they were clean. When he called out to Inui, his co-worker turned to him with a laidback grin.

"Yo, Tooru! Good to see you!" Inui greeted, grinning cheerily.

Oikawa didn't waste any time and asked, "Where's the volleyball player?"

"Actually... I didn't really find this player for you. It's more like, I'm requesting for you to be his sports agent." Inui stated with a grim look. "This kid's really quiet and if you do something he doesn't like, he'll get really angry at you. Many people worked with him but they gave up because he was too scary to be with! But since it's you, I'm sure you'll be fine."

Oikawa started wondering about this potential client. The brunette had met plenty of athletes who were stubborn and arrogant so he was sure that he could handle whatever Inui's new recruit was going to be bringing. As long as they didn't get violent when they were angry then it was fine with Oikawa. With that thought in mind, Oikawa smiled charmingly before saying that it was fine with him. Inui then lead him inside the cafe and instantly, the smell of coffee and newly baked bread filled the brunette's nose. Looking around, Oikawa saw one man who was sitting alone.

Inui went ahead and sat in front of the man before motioning Oikawa to be quick. As the he approached, he could hear Inui speaking to the stranger.

"I got the person perfect for you. He's played volleyball before so I'm sure you two can get along," Inui said calmly.

"Really? What position did he play?" the man replied nonchalantly.

"He played as a setter when he was in high school. He was really popular before so you might know him!"

Oikawa gazed at the man carefully. His hair was jet black. And suddenly Oikawa started musing about the possibility of it being the one person he really didn't want to see— but just then the man turned around to face Oikawa. The brunette gasped.

 _"No way! It's Tobio-chan!"_ Oikawa thought internally as he froze. Immediately, he recalled how much he despised the younger male all the way from middle school up to high school. Even now, Oikawa hated the fact that he was about to be working with his former rival.

Kageyama's eyes widened as he witnessed his former senior gawking at him. The younger setter turned back to Inui and glared at him icily.

"Where is he? The sports agent you talked about," he said impatiently, hoping that it wasn't who he assumed it to be. When Inui pointed back at Oikawa, Kageyama turned around again and saw his old competition still standing there, clearly just as uncomfortable as him.

But the brunette then forced a smile that seemed too sweet to be real. Kageyama huffed in annoyance.

With his current situation, Oikawa was forced to act civil with his former rival so he walked towards his co-worker and sat beside him. He then faced Kageyama and while it was undeniable that there was some unspoken tension between them, Oikawa ignored the awkwardness and greeted the younger male.

"It's nice to meet the famous volleyball played that Inui's been talking about," he said with a snarky attitude. Kageyama simply glared at him as he crossed his arms.

"Tooru, this is Kageyama Tobio! He's a busy guy so your hands will be full when you become his agent." Inui informed, completely unaware of the awkwardness of the situation,.

"Really?" Oikawa mused with an air of mischief in his voice. "Kageyama Tobio must be really incompetent in other things then! The only thing he probably knows about is how to be good at volleyball!" he exclaimed condescendingly.

Kageyama clenched his fist at the insult but he kept his irritation pent-up inside to avoid causing trouble. If he made a ruckus now, it could taint his image and status.

"Oi, Tooru. Don't be like that! You're being rude," Inui scolded as he looked apologetically at Kageyama, who in turn gazed at him emptily.

"Oh! Sorry! I've been told to be blunt so I hope Kageyama-san doesn't mind," Oikawa said mockingly.

"I don't mind," Kageyama retorted calmly before shifting his gaze towards Inui. "I need to make this quick. I have to get to the new place I'm moving to."

Inui nodded. "Kageyama-kun, you don't mind if he becomes your agent, right?" Inui pointed at Oikawa while checking Kageyama's expression.

The black-haired male simply shrugged his shoulders. "I don't really care who it is as long as I get someone to take care of the things I don't want to take care of."

Inui nodded. "So, it's settled then? Shall I leave you two to talk?" he suggested.

Oikawa held his co-worker's wrist tightly but Inui just smiled before gently pushing the brunette's hand back. He then bowed to Kageyama and left, leaving the two former rivals alone. Oikawa felt a headache coming as he aloofly stared at the person in front of him. Since Kageyama was his client, should Oikawa entertain him? Oikawa didn't want to do that at all. His pride wouldn't let him. He couldn't look inferior to the younger male. He had to be above Kageyama, he'd die of shame if he wasn't.

"Oikawa-san," Kageyama called out, "you'll be working under me." He said with a hint of pride.

 _"Wow. Look at him. I can sense that his head inflated since he's famous now."_ Oikawa thought begrudgingly.

"I didn't say I'll accept the job," he stated and huffed in stubbornness.

The two didn't talk for a few seconds until Oikawa decided to ask, "How much do you make a year?"

Kageyama, who was eating a piece of bread, stopped munching and thought about the money he made last year. Once he recalled it, he answered uncaringly, "About... two..."

Oikawa leaned in and interrupted. "Two million?" he asked.

Kageyama shook his head and said, "Two hundred something."

The brunette heaved a sigh after hearing that. "You earn two hundred thousand yen? That much in a year? I thought you had it big." He stated while smirking.

Oikawa thought back to his first client. The brunette earned a lot because that athlete received a lot of money a year, then his second client earned about five million to six million and if the athlete was fortunate, they'd earn ten million yen. Since Oikawa had to be paid three percent of that athlete's salary, Oikawa received 300,000 yen. It wasn't big but it was good enough for a beginner. Then as time went by, since Oikawa was extremely good at being an agent, given that his parents worked as lawyers, the brunette's salary increased. What started as a mere three percent went to six percent and Oikawa couldn't be happier. He was making a hefty amount of money and that was all that mattered.

Gazing at Kageyama with boredom, Oikawa wondered if he should help the younger male out. He felt bad that he'd be left alone. Suddenly, Kageyama stopped eating and lowered his bread. He stared at Oikawa before speaking.

"I remember now. I earned 200,000,000 yen last year." Kageyama declared indifferently.

Hearing this, Oikawa did a double-take before frantically musing about the money he'd make if he decided to become Kageyama's agent. _"If I accept the job, it doesn't matter if I earn three percent of his income. I'd still get a six million yen in fact, even one percent could make me get two million yen from him! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that's laid out in front of me and if I take it, I'll earn a lot and boost my status."_ Oikawa thought internally. He then recalled something. _"But it's Tobio-chan! How can I accept from him?! My pride won't take it! I don't want to be indebted to him... but this is work, so I guess it's fine."_ The brunette felt swayed by the amount of money he'd be getting. Thinking of all the zeroes in his paycheck, Oikawa bit his lip to stop himself from getting too excited.

"Tobio-chan, how much would I get from your income?" Oikawa asked, still being stubborn.

"I paid my last agent... ten percent." Kageyama replied calmly.

The brunette gawked at the cash laid out in front of him. Thinking about the money, Oikawa mumbled, "Ten percent of 200,000,000 yen is... twenty million?!" The older male gaped at Kageyama with disbelief.

"Oi! That's freaking big! Do you even know how much money you're giving away?" Oikawa hastily questioned, completely forgetting he was supposed to be playing hard to get.

Kageyama simply shrugged his shoulders once again while eating a piece of bread. "I don't," he answered shortly.

Oikawa slammed his fist on the table and eyed the younger male grimly. "Twenty. Million. Yen. That's how much you gave them. Do you even know business and finance? Why would you give that much money?!" He glared at Kageyama and when he noticed that the younger male looked bored, Oikawa bit his tongue to avoid getting too agitated. "Oi. Are you listening?" the brunette spoke roughly.

Clicking his tongue, Kageyama told Oikawa, "As long as I get to play, then I don't care."

This stunned Oikawa. He was in utter disbelief as he processed the younger male's statement. Even now, Kageyama is still the same man whose life revolves around volleyball so what did Oikawa expect? For the black-haired man to suddenly learn finance and have a life?

"Why?" Oikawa uttered in defeat. "Why do you earn so much?" he asked.

Kageyama indifferently said, "Popular products wanted me to advertise their brand. Some put me in their commercial."

"So that's why... tell me, Tobio-chan, what's the latest brand you advertised?" Oikawa probed.

"Uh... Asics? Mizuno? I don't know which but it's one of those two." Kageyama responded as he went back to eating.

Oikawa chuckled lowly. Kageyama was still as ignorant and infuriating as ever. It really irked Oikawa, but for some reason he felt like he had to take this opportunity. Taking a deep breath, Oikawa put on a smirk before putting his hand out in front of Kageyama, motioning for a handshake.

"Let's do this, Tobio-chan. Play volleyball as much as you want and leave the paperwork to me. Deal?" Oikawa said confidently.

Kageyama swallowed the bite of bread he took before grabbing the last untouched piece. He then placed the bread in Oikawa's hand and blurted in all seriousness, "Work hard." He then stood up, grabbed his bag, and left the cafe without another word.

Oikawa stood dumfounded in the wake of his former rival's unannounced exit. He then glanced down at the piece of bread in his hand and placed it back on the table while gritting his teeth. Oikawa shook his head and took off after Kageyama. After all, they hadn't properly discussed their agreement! The bastard had left before they'd even signed a contract…

* * *

Hinata and Miho were watching cartoons comfily from the confines of the sofa. They had an array of snacks laid about them while they stared at the television.

It had been an hour since Oikawa had left and the two were on their own. Having played every game they could think of, the two were exhausted. So Hinata had suggested they watch some cartoons. And currently, Hinata was laughing at the misfortunes of the characters in the kids' show and leaned back lethargically on the couch when out of the blue, Iwaizumi exited his room and noticed mess in the hallway. Iwaizumi stomped into the living room while avoiding the Legos all over the floor.

"Oikawa! Look at the mess!" he scolded and faced the person in the living room, but when he didn't see his childhood friend, he looked to the kitchen and dining room but to no avail, Oikawa wasn't there. Iwaizumi finally glanced at Hinata.

"Did you make this mess?" he asked as he tried to stay calm but it was too late, Hinata was already nervous.

Hinata stood up immediately and bowed in apology. "Sorry! I'll clean it!" he said before going on a search for the broom and dustpan. When he found it in the kitchen, Hinata raised the broom and ran to the hallway. He proceeded to sweep the Legos into the dustpan and started muttering about where he had left the box that the Legos belonged in.

Iwaizumi observed the younger male clean, inwardly amused at how much of a mess the younger male could create in one day alone. He stood with crossed arms while Hinata scanned the hallway for the box.

"What are you searching for?" Iwaizumi asked nonchalantly.

Hinata gulped and forced a strained smile. "Nothing. I'll find it," he said before attempting to walk past Iwaizumi but as he did, the taller man grabbed the dustpan and gently yanked it. "Go take care of Miho because she's sulking. I'll put this away." He suggested as he tugged on the dustpan but Hinata didn't take the suggestion and shook his head.

"No need! I'll take care of this! I was the one who made a mess!" Hinata spoke shakily as he pulled the scoop back. Iwaizumi then pulled as well and soon, the two were tugging at the dustpan, both insisting to put the mess away by themselves. Hinata then strongly pulled making the dustpan almost pulling it from Iwaizumi's grip but unfortunately, Miho ran up to Hinata and pushed his legs and because of the sudden push, the force that Hinata had used to pull the dustpan was instead, sent towards Iwaizumi as the Legos were flung on the taller male's face while the scoop hit his forehead.

The two men in the share house froze. Hinata was on the floor with a stunned expression while Iwaizumi stood deathly silent as his forehead began to rapidly redden.

Hinata gasped at what he had done and stood up to check if his housemate was alright but as he did so, he didn't notice a stray Lego under his right foot and stepped on it. Yelping in pain, he ended up falling again so he made the decision to grab onto Iwaizumi's collar to balance himself but when he did, he accidentally tore the stoic male's shirt from the collar down to the middle.

Hinata did balance himself but he may have made a bad impression on Iwaizumi.

Eyeing the shorter male with a soulless look, Iwaizumi stopped himself from getting angry since Miho was watching the two of them. Knowing that he couldn't get angry at Hinata the same way he did with Oikawa, Iwaizumi took a deep breath and huffed before opening his mouth to speak but before he could say something, the door opened and the two men came in.

The two men in the hallway were met with the sight of a frustrated Oikawa and, to their surprise, an even more frustrated-looking Kageyama.

The two pairs gazed at each other, totally speechless.

Oikawa and Kageyama were witnessing a situation that looked like Hinata purposely ripping Iwaizumi's shirt open. On the other hand, Iwaizumi and Hinata were looking at Oikawa who seemed to be inviting Kageyama inside the share house despite looking irritated about it. The two pairs didn't have a single idea what happened to the other. All they knew was the other duo seemed to have done something weird.

As they eyed each other with thunderstruck expressions, they heard another person greet them. Oikawa and Kageyama moved away to check who spoke from behind them while Iwaizumi and Hinata narrowed their eyes to see who the new person outside was. When they found who it was, they all gasped.

"Oh..." the person uttered in a dumbfounded manner. "Are the four of you... living together? Really?"

Instead of offering an answer for their current situation, the four males in the share house cussed loudly.

Iwaizumi massaged his aching forehead as he grumbled something about living with a bunch of idiots.

"Why...? Why is today like this?" Hinata emptily murmured as he felt himself starting to cry at the latest weird development in his day.

Oikawa groaned loudly. "I have no problem with Chibi-chan being here, or this guy," he said, motioning to the man standing outside the doorway, "but Tobio-chan?! No freaking way! Why is he even here and..."

Kageyama just wanted to go back to his old home.

Meanwhile, their new housemate, Sugawara Koushi, stood stunned as he tried to grasp the situation in front of him. "What the heck," he blurted out as he watched the four other males suffering.

Miho, on the other hand, was just grinning at all her new friends.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Hey! Nice to meet you too! Just to give you an idea of what a share house is, it's a place that's like a house but has many rooms. You share one kitchen, dining room, living room, and bathroom (even a lounge if the share house is that expensive) with the other tenants. It's apparently an exciting way to pay rent since not only is it slightly affordable, you can get to know other tenants as well.**

 **As for how the house looks like, if you're outside, there will be a coin laundry beside the entry of the house and when you enter, it won't be the house immediately. You'll be in an entryway and another door. Once you enter the second door, the corridor with hardwood floor will instantly greet you and in that corridor, there are three doors to the right and two doors to the left. If you keep walking pass these doors (which are the doors to the bedroom), you'll see the living room to the left and as read above, there is a divider wall that seperates the kitchen and dining room which are mashed since the share house is quite small. Anyway, the wall to the right, there's this door, beside the last bedroom door to the right, and it's the door to the bathroom. I'll tell you which room the guys are next chapter but for now, that's the interior of the house so I'm sorry if you can't visualize it! I'm not good with explaining places.**

 **But this story's plot... I guess you could say that it's humor-based with romance as subplot. Don't expect something deep since I want it to be as light-hearted as possible. Just lean on your seat (or bed) and enjoy the chapters that I'll post ;)**

 **BTW, I edited this chapter since I found some grammatical errors so don't be surprised if there are changes in this chap.**


	2. Are You Trying To Kill Me?

Iwaizumi was holding an ice pack on his head and wearing a different shirt after changing out of the ripped one. Oikawa had his legs crossed while scrutinizing the people in front of him. Hinata looked down as Miho kept bugging him to play. Kageyama gazed at his two former seniors before briefly glancing at Sugawara, who was watching the group with bafflement.

"So," Sugawara started, "what happened here? Why did Iwaizumi-san have his shirt ripped by Hinata? Why did Oikawa-san invite Kageyama over, even though they both actually live here?" he queried, a gentle and soft smile plastered on his face to make the group answer his question.

"Well..." Hinata paused and buried his face in his palms in shame. Even now, after five minutes had passed since he had accidentally thrown a bunch of Legos and a dustpan towards Iwaizumi's face, Hinata could still feel the sensation of humiliation and cringe infesting his body. What did his housemates think of him now? That he was a rampaging dwarf who liked hurling Legos and dustpans and ripping shirts open? Hinata wouldn't accept that! He could be called anything but that!

Pushing himself up in protest, Hinata loudly blurted out, "I'm not an aggressive dwarf who likes throwing Legos and dustpans and tearing clothes open!" He desperately added, "Please believe me! I didn't want to do that to Iwaizumi-san." Hinata faced Iwaizumi and bowed down lowly. "So, I'm sorry! You're so scary that I was nervous with you! I didn't want to rip your shirt open so please don't hurt me!"

Oikawa chortled as he watched the shortest man in the room scream his apology while Kageyama scrunched his nose in disapproval of what his former partner did. Sugawara forced himself not to laugh and ended up staring at Iwaizumi, who didn't like being called scary and as a result, gave a mixture of a deadpan and a look of disbelief.

"Oi, dumbass," Kageyama called out. "If you didn't want it, then why was Iwaizumi-san's shirt open? Was that a coincidence? That's not believable! You were trying to attack him, weren't you?!" he shouted.

Hinata gritted his teeth at Kageyama's statement. "I was just..." he struggled to find an explanation to say.

"He held onto me because he was falling." Iwaizumi saved Hinata from explaining his actions. "He accidentally ripped my shirt after grabbing my collar."

Hinata stood in awe when he heard Iwaizumi explain for him. The orange-haired man closed his ajar mouth and stood up straight before glancing at Kageyama with a smirk. "Hear that? I didn't mean it!" Hinata beamed in relief before sighing.

Sugawara shushed him to sit down so Hinata obeyed and plopped down on the couch. Hinata turned to Miho and patted the young girl's hair and assured her that he'd play with her later.

"I don't really get how Hinata could accidentally tear a shirt open but have it be an accident, but we should let it go," Sugawara said calmly.

Oikawa suddenly took interest in Suga's own story. The gray-haired male had suddenly appeared and entered the share house without explaining anything and so now, it was only fitting that Oikawa decide to interrogate him.

"Why is Mr. Refreshing here then?" Oikawa grilled.

Sugawara smiled softly before looking at Miho. When the girl caught his gaze, she waved happily.

"Actually, I'm Miho's uncle." Sugawara stated and waited for a response. He scanned the group's face and saw them all looking confused. So he continued, "The landlord is my brother-in law and he told me to move to his house since he'll be gone for a while." On that note, Sugawara grinned with a hint of mischief.

The group paused as they registered the information dumped on them.

All of a sudden, Miho started crying. "Did papa leave Miho?" the girl asked as she bawled her eyes out.

Hinata glanced at Sugawara shortly before comforting Miho.

Oikawa understood the situation so he groaned in annoyance. The brunette questioned the fact that he had three people who made him devastated. He had to live with them and that single fact already made Oikawa salty.

Meanwhile, Iwaizumi and Kageyama didn't speak. Nor did the two do anything to signal the fact that they were stressed after Iwaizumi was accidentally bullied by someone shorter than him whereas Kageyama had been chased by Oikawa who then proceeded to nag to him on why the two of them were going the same direction and after that, whined at him after knowing that Kageyama would now live in the same share house that Oikawa lived in. Needless to say, the two were probably the only people who were in their right mind.

* * *

Oikawa was in utter disbelief.

After Kageyama signed a contract with him, Oikawa was soon informed that the black-haired man had a photoshoot. But since it was Kageyama, he'd forgotten about it and, now, Oikawa was being reprimanded by staff from the agency for being forgetful. In his own honest opinion, Oikawa was not guilty of being forgetful, it was Kageyama who should be blamed.

Standing in front of the younger male, Oikawa folded his arms and huffed with irritation. "Asics. It was Asics who asked you to model for their brand new shoes and you forgot about it?" Oikawa grilled with firmness. "You were supposed to be there by afternoon but look what time it is! It's five in the evening!" Oikawa proceeded to nag while Kageyama kept his eyes on his phone and ignored the older man.

"Oi, Tobio-chan," Oikawa called out stingily, "you're lucky that I told them to do the photoshoot tomorrow." Kageyama shifted his attention from his phone to Oikawa.

"I don't have work tomorrow," he deadpanned.

"Well now you do." Oikawa retorted.

"Is it about volleyball?" Kageyama questioned.

"No."

"Then I don't want it."

Oikawa felt his blood boil just from talking to the male. Taking a deep breath, the brunette realized that he'd have to do this the hard way. Checking the list of brands that had requested for Kageyama to model for their product, Oikawa smirked mischievously before pushing his phone inside his pocket.

"Then... you'll be doing lots of photoshoots this week! Hurray, right?" he riled. Kageyama froze at that statement and stood up.

"What?" he uttered. "I was scheduled for a practice with my teammates this week so what photoshoot are you talking about?" Kageyama asked with a puzzled expression.

Oikawa smiled, feigning innocence. "I changed it. You're plenty strong so it's fine, it's fine!" He then brushed off Kageyama's words before turning his back on him. Without looking behind him, Oikawa muttered, "This is Asics we're talking about. The fact that you're being requested to model for them should make you happy." Oikawa grinned with haughtiness as he said that.

"Hey! Change my schedule back, now!" Kageyama demanded as he grabbed the brunette's shoulder. Oikawa then spun on his heels and showed the smug smirk on his face.

"How about this, Tobio-chan? You can get your practice for the week but in return, you model for Asics tomorrow. If you don't want it then, let's finish all of the photoshooting this week!"

Faced with the two options, Kageyama gritted his teeth and stepped back from the older male. Witnessing his former rival looking agitated amused Oikawa. He guessed that being his sports agent had its ups. This way, Oikawa could order the younger male around as much as he wanted as long as it was work-related.

"Fine! I'll go tomorrow! Change my schedule back to the real one!" Kageyama clicked his tongue in irritation. "You can leave now," he ordered as he motioned for Oikawa to go.

The brunette scoffed as he turned around and exited the room. Afterwards, he slammed the door behind him and went to his room. Oikawa took the crown for today but the brunette quickly told himself that he'd make sure that the black-haired setter completely abides by the schedule that Oikawa made. That way, Oikawa's life would be easier.

All of a sudden, the sound of glass breaking was heard. Oikawa immediately ran to the source of the sound which was located at the kitchen.

Hinata stood meters away from Iwaizumi. They stared at the broken plate on the floor with different expressions. Iwaizumi heaved a deep sigh and looked at the shorter male, who coincidentally gazed anxiously at him as well. Unlike Iwaizumi who looked unfazed, Hinata was evidently shaken.

"I – I'm sorry! I didn't wanna break it! I swear!" Hinata bowed again.

When he saw this, Oikawa wondered if this would be a recurring thing. To have Hinata break something in the house and scream his apology after that. Oikawa hoped not. It might be hilarious right now but after a while, it would probably become troublesome.

Iwaizumi nodded nonchalantly before approaching the broken platter and kneeling down to clean it. Hinata shouted a loud disagreement as he rushed down as well.

"Don't!" Hinata cried. "I'll clean it! I was the one who broke it so I'll make sure to clean this! Please leave," he insisted.

"It's fine. I'll clean this so go back to washing the dishes," Iwaizumi replied calmly as he picked the broken pieces.

"No! Get away now!" Hinata asserted before gently pushing the older male's hands away. At this point, Iwaizumi was bottling his annoyance but he was sure to erupt if the orange-haired male kept pushing him away.

"Listen, Hinata, calm down." Iwaizumi spoke in a laidback manner. "I'll let you clean this but stop being fidgety. That's why you always break things in the house," he reprimanded as he let the piece of plate go then pushed himself up after. Staring down at the shorter man, Iwaizumi said, "Don't break another plate again." He walked away calmly and left the kitchen. He glanced at Oikawa and saw the playful grin that his childhood friend was wearing so he feigned a punch and immediately, Oikawa lowered himself to avoid the hit. When Oikawa realized that there was no impact, he glared at his friend who simply walked away in contentment.

After that, Oikawa glanced at Hinata and went closer to the dinner table. He sat on the chair and rested his chin on top of his palm.

"Shou-chan, why are you acting like this? Stop breaking things. And where's Miho-chi?" Oikawa questioned as he watched the younger male pick the broken shards.

"Miho-chan is with Sugawara-san. She wanted to go to the playground so Sugawara-san told me to rest while went to go play with her," Hinata explained as he put all of the shards in the garbage bin. He let out a shaky sigh after as he leaned on the counter. When he saw Oikawa, Hinata smiled brightly as he thought about how different his attitude was when he was with the brunette. "You're really kind and friendly but, Iwaizumi-san... he's different," he blurted out.

Oikawa hummed in response. "That's just how Iwa-chan is at first. He'll warm up to you," he assured lethargically. After all the worrying with a certain setter's photoshoot with a rich and famous brand, Oikawa was exhausted and wanted nothing more than sleep but he had work to do so he couldn't rest yet.

"No," Hinata disagreed. "I feel like he won't. He'll always be angry at me and I'll always be nervous and fidgety when he's there!"

After hearing that, Oikawa let out a long "ah" once he realized why the shortest male in the house was clumsy. He observed Hinata wash the dishes and to his surprise, Hinata did it with adeptness. Hinata was only clumsy whenever Iwaizumi was there, Oikawa thought. That would explain why most of the time when broken plates, messy living room, and much messier situation occurred, Iwaizumi was in the situation as well. It was because Hinata became nervous whenever he was around and since Hinata had the tendency to fidget and tremble when faced with something threatening, he broke things easily.

Snickering at the situation, Oikawa wondered how it would go between his childhood friend and the shortest male in the house. He knew that Iwaizumi didn't have the tendency to hit people he didn't know well, in fact, Oikawa was the only one he hit, but with how irritated Iwaizumi looked earlier, Oikawa pondered about the possibility of his friend hitting someone who looked innocent and pure. Surely, this moment made Oikawa chortle in amusement as he chose to help Hinata to make the situation even more hilarious.

"Shou-chan, do you know how to bake?" Oikawa questioned out of nowhere.

"Huh? Well, kinda." Hinata answered with uncertainty.

"Can you bake cookies?"

"No, but I can try."

"Then bake some for Iwa-chan. He likes homemade cookies," the brunette informed him, and if Hinata was an observant person, but his gullible and trusting nature got the best of him and he simply nodded.

"Okay! I'll make some for him!" he said in total determination before returning his attention to washing the dishes. Oikawa snorted to himself before leaving the kitchen and dining area.

Let's see how it goes, Oikawa thought as he walked away smiling deviously.

* * *

Kageyama did not feel good. He didn't feel like posing for the camera at all. Why did he have to do that? He was an athlete, not a model. So why was he in front of blinding lights and expensive-looking cameras?

"Okay, last pose before moving to next one," the photographer informed as he took a shot of Kageyama.

Meanwhile, Oikawa stared at his phone. He kept his attention there the entire time and even when the crew decided to take a break, he had no idea that Kageyama had left the place and escaped. Then, after a solid fifteen minutes, a shout was heard.

"Oikawa-kun! Where's Kageyama-san?" a make-up artist asked. Oikawa stood up and scanned the area and when he didn't find Kageyama, he decided to call him. Luckily, Kageyama answered.

"Where are you? Make it fast and come back. You're interrupting my time in reading manga on my phone." Oikawa spoke nonchalantly.

"You read manga? I didn't expect that from you Oikawa-san." Kageyama replied calmly.

"Yeah, that's why you should come back so I can read again."

"I don't want to. Tell them I'm tired and resting."

Oikawa swore that he signed a contract with a professional volleyball player who played for the country, not a child. Yet why did he instantly tell the make-up artist to wait while he went to fetch the setter? Oikawa knew that it was his job but chasing after the younger man while talking to him on the phone to play a new type of hide and seek was not in that list of responsibilities as a sports agent.

"Where are you?" Oikawa queried.

"At the café near the mall," Kageyama answered.

"Okay, wait for me there." Afterwards, Oikawa rushed to the café and searched the place for a familiar black-haired setter. When he found none, he pulled his phone out and called Kageyama for the second time.

"Tobio-chan, where are you? I'm here at the cafe near the mall." Oikawa asked while huffing in exhaustion.

"You're there? But I just left that place. I'm at the sports shop now." Kageyama told indifferently.

"What?! Earlier, you said you were at the cafe!" shouted the brunette.

"I was. I finished resting so I went to the sports shop." Kageyama replied.

"I'll go there! Don't leave!" Oikawa ordered as he ran to the sports shop that Kageyama was talking about. Unfortunately, by the time Oikawa got there, no black-haired setter was spotted. Once again, the brunette dialed Kageyama's number and for the second time, Kageyama answered.

"Where are you?! You said that you were at the sports shop!" cried Oikawa.

"I was. But you took too long to get there so I went back to the cafe to get some coffee," Kageyama said as calm as ever.

Realizing that it was taking too long to fetch for Kageyama, Oikawa wondered if the staff who were supposed to photograph Kageyama went home. But it was only thirty minutes since Oikawa left the studio so surely they were still there, right?

"Tobio-chan. Stay there. I swear to god, if you leave that place again," Oikawa took a deep breath before threatening Kageyama with, "I'll change your schedule and make you suffer through weeks of photoshoot."

This angered Kageyama so he agreed to stay put in the cafe and wait for the brunette to fetch him yet once five had minutes passed, Kageyama became impatient. He stood up and exited the cafe. He then saw a sports shop across the road and to his surprise, it was a store specifically for Asics's brand. With his curiosity piqued, Kageyama went and waited for the traffic light to turn green and once it did, he crossed the road.

And at that moment, as Kageyama crossed the road, Oikawa caught a glimpse of a black-haired male on the streets. He called out and chased him.

Fortunately, Kageyama heard the brunette's call so he turned around and saw the male running towards him. He halted and waited for the brunette to catch up but when Oikawa was only a meter away from Kageyama, a truck came rushing behind Oikawa and the brunette immediately felt that he had just been centimeters away from an accident. The two men stared at each other, stunned, before they followed the receding truck with their eyes. Once the truck was gone, Oikawa stepped towards Kageyama and as he did, he found himself shaking with terror, fully aware that he had almost just died.

When Oikawa was finally on the other side of the road, Kageyama eyed his former senior with a blank expression. Oikawa looked back at his former underclassman and all of a sudden, Oikawa put on a shaky smile while Kageyama seemed to be frozen.

"Tobio-chan!" Oikawa shouted as he uncharacteristically held onto Kageyama's shoulders to shake him whereas Kageyama was still frozen at the realization that someone had almost died in front of him and literally because of him.

"Oikawa-san! You almost died!" Kageyama finally shouted back.

"I know! Do you see how good I am at my job?! I'm willing to die for my client!" Oikawa cried as he kept shaking his former underclassman. "Tobio-chan, don't leave me anymore! I'll literally die for you!" the brunette yelled at the top of his lungs, the fear of dying still ingrained in his mind.

"I won't leave you anymore! I'll stay here!" Kageyama yelled as well.

The two males then hugged each other, an action they wouldn't have done if they were in their right minds but Oikawa almost just died so they didn't care. They held each other tightly as they started to cry out of fear and the aftershock.

The people around them scrutinized the two and misunderstood their actions. Some people thought it was disgusting, some supported it, while some just snorted at the hilarious conversation.

After the whole incident was resolved, Kageyama willingly went back to the studio and Oikawa had to reluctantly explain the whole situation to the perplexed staff on set.

* * *

Sugawara saw that there were two clear containers that had white powder in them. He decided to check if both were sugar or salt and when he did, he realized that the one with the red lid was white sugar while the one with the blue lid was salt. Deciding that the two containers should be labeled, Sugawara went to his room to grab a marker.

While he was gone, Miho sneaked in the kitchen. Having seen the action of his uncle made her curious. What was he doing?

Miho tested it out herself and removed the red lid then the blue lid. Afterwards, she stared at the two open containers and tasted each. She hummed in delight when she tasted sugar but her nose scrunched up when she tasted salt. She then tasted the sugar again and smiled contently. Miho, having had enough of the sweetness, covered the container with blue lid and did the same for the salt's container but with the red lid. With the containers' lids switched, Miho went back to the living room to watch her favorite cartoon.

Sugawara came back with a marker, something he had a hard time finding. He eyed the containers and wondered why the two containers had seemed to switch places but quickly dismissed it and labeled them, not knowing that the two containers, while not physically switched in position, had had their lids switched. He soon left the kitchen with a satisfied and relaxed smile.

An hour after from the switching incident, Hinata returned home from his grocery shopping and went to the kitchen.

 _"I know how to bake cookies! It's easy!"_ Hinata thought internally. He then rummaged through the bags of groceries he had and found the ingredients he needed. The only thing that was missing was white sugar but that was already in the house so Hinata searched for it and once he saw a red-lidded container with the label 'sugar', Hinata immediately grabbed it and started baking. He decided to mix the brown sugar and white sugar with butter, vanilla, and egg but since Hinata forgot to buy brown sugar, he decided to add more white sugar and just stir it with the flour, baking soda, chocolate chips and salt but just as he was about to add the salt, he heard Miho call out his name, so Hinata put the large bowl aside and went to the young girl.

Sugawara went into the kitchen to get something to drink when he saw the container with the blue lid on it. He warily glanced at the container that had no lid and was labeled sugar. Deciding to try to get something sweet, Sugawara tasted the white sugar and had his nose scrunched up when he realized that it was salt so he went to grab the container with the label salt and exchanged the lid to make sure that no one mistook it for something else. Afterwards, he placed it back in the shelf and went away, completely forgetting that he had wanted a drink.

Hinata went back to the kitchen after Sugawara left. He was confused as to why the sugar wasn't on the table but upon realizing that Sugawara probably put it back to be helpful, Hinata dismissed it and searched for salt. Once he found it, Hinata was sure to finish his cookies before Iwaizumi got home. Who knew baking cookies was easy? Hinata could do it all day if he wanted to.

After that, Hinata waited for Iwaizumi with a plate of cookies in his hands. He hoped that he could at least make the older male not look like he hated Hinata's guts. While Hinata was waiting patiently, Oikawa and Kageyama returned home.

"Welcome ho – " Sugawara couldn't continue his sentence as he saw the two males enter with faces that seemed like they went through eighty years of living and had passed through various calamities with their house getting repeatedly destroyed by a storm only for it to be repeatedly built again by their own bare hands.

"Whoa… what happened?" Sugawara asked, only to receive a shrug from the two exhausted male.

Kageyama sat down beside Hinata and when he noticed that his former partner had a plate of cookie in his hand, he reached out to grab one but Hinata yelled at him to not touch it. The two males then glared at each other before Hinata transferred to sit by Oikawa's side.

Taking notice of the cookies, Oikawa recalled what he told Hinata. "Shou-chan, is that plate of cookies for – "

"It's for him! It's easy so I made lots!" Hinata chirped happily as he beamed brightly. He had an idea and gave one to the brunette. "You look tired so have one!" Hinata offered. Oikawa smiled at the shorter male and grabbed one. He took a bite of it and what he tasted made him freeze.

It was salty. Not just salty, it was like Oikawa tasted the whole ocean in one bite. It was that salty.

Kageyama caught his former senior tasting the cookies so he secretly reached out to take one but Oikawa stopped him. Kageyama sent a questioning glare towards the brunette but when he met Oikawa's gaze, he recognized the expression the older male had. It was similar to the face the brunette made when Kageyama witnessed Oikawa almost get hit by a truck. Realizing this, Kageyama pulled back and stared at Hinata.

"You're killing Oikawa-san. That cookie must taste bad," Kageyama muttered nonchalantly before standing up and going to his room to take a proper rest.

Hinata grasped what Kageyama said and looked at Oikawa. The brunette, seeing the younger male's face, felt like he had just kicked hundreds of puppies.

"Oikawa-san, it doesn't taste bad, right?" Hinata queried with a somewhat pleading look.

"No... It tastes good," the brunette forced an answer out. When he saw the shorter male beam once again, Oikawa felt relieved.

"Do you think Iwaizumi-san would like it? He won't get angry at me if he received them right?"

The brunette desperately wanted to say no but since Hinata gave such an earnest look, how could he say that? He wasn't heartless. Sure, the kid defeated him but the past was in the past and Oikawa was a new man now (at least, that's what he thought). He wouldn't hurt anyone's feelings because he was a grown man (again, that was just his assumption). So Oikawa dramatically raised a thumbs-up and said, "Iwa-chan would like – no, love this!"

Hinata felt himself laugh at the statement he received. He was about to say something when the sound of the door opening made him stand up. That was him, Hinata was sure of it, although he didn't know why, but he was certain that it was Iwaizumi. Glancing at Oikawa, he saw the brunette mutter a silent "fight on" before pumping his fist in the air. Hinata left afterwards after seeing that. Once he was gone, Sugawara smiled playfully.

"How were the cookies, Oikawa?" Sugawara asked casually.

Hearing this, Oikawa stared at the male, stunned. "Did you know – "

"He made me taste it. I don't know why it's that salty but," Sugawara paused as he remembered one thing, "I might need to apologize to Hinata later."

Oikawa eyed the man with suspicion. Apologize to Hinata? Why?

Meanwhile, Hinata was in front of Iwaizumi's door. He inhaled deeply before knocking and then cautiously opening the door. He gaped when he saw Iwaizumi sprawled on his bed with his face buried in his pillow.

"Iwaizumi-san? Are you alright?" asked Hinata. He trudged towards the older man and flinched when he saw him raise his head.

"Ugh... why are you here?" Iwaizumi questioned. His voice was hoarse and it was evident that he didn't feel good. This worried Hinata.

Raising the plate of cookies, Hinata said, "I was about to give this to you but are you alright?"

"Yeah. Just stressed," Iwaizumi answered shortly.

The two went silent and Hinata had never felt as awkward as he was at the moment. It was like his wrong decisions in the past had come to hunt him while he was talking to Iwaizumi and as a result, Hinata was immobilized and simply stared at the older man on the bed with a blank expression. Iwaizumi, being the observant person he was, noticed the shorter male's face.

"What are you doing?" Iwaizumi queried as he struggled to sit up on his bed.

Hinata blinked and realized that he had been standing frozen for a while. He cleared his throat and decided to make conversation. "What happened?" he questioned worriedly. This made Iwaizumi narrow his eyes at the shorter man but he answered nonetheless.

"Two people fought at the office."

"Oh?" Hinata said. "Two people fought... why are you the one stressed then?"

"Because I'm a labor relations specialist and it's a part of my job to fix arguments."

Hinata couldn't help but get amazed by the older man's occupation. That sounded like a stable job and Hinata slightly envied it. But he still didn't know why the person in front of him acted sick if he just mediated a fight.

"But why are you stressed?" Hinata repeated his question.

Iwaizumi groaned before saying, "I'm not only stressed, I'm also in pain. One of those two punched me in the gut."

Hearing this, Hinata immediately approached the male, surprising Iwaizumi as a result.

"They punched you? Really?" Hinata asked as he plopped down on the bed beside the taller male. "Must be hard on you... You wanna do something as well, right?"

"What are you talking about?" Iwaizumi questioned indifferently.

"I mean, get back at them! You probably wanted to punch them back too!"

"Why would I want that? You're ridiculous."

"Everyone who gets punched wants to punch the person who hit them!" Hinata exclaimed as he placed the plate of cookies down. He then faced Iwaizumi with a determined face.

"Tell me who did it and I'll hunt them down! I'll punch them for you!" he said, feigning toughness to cheer up the older male. This entertained Iwaizumi as he glanced briefly at the cookies.

"Cut it out. I don't need to get back at them." Iwaizumi showed a soft smile.

Hinata blinked before recalling that he still needed to give Iwaizumi the baked goods. Grabbing the plate, the shorter male handed it to Iwaizumi. "Actually... I wanted to give you these."

Confused, Iwaizumi asked "Why?"

"The reason isn't needed! Just take it!" Hinata gently shoved the plate on the taller man's hands and once Iwaizumi took it, Hinata sighed in relief.

Looking at the cookies, Iwaizumi saw that they weren't bad-smelling nor did they look poisonous so he grabbed one and took a bite. Iwaizumi instantly felt himself gag.

"What the..." Iwaizumi stopped speaking as he further tasted the cookie. The chocolate chip and the amount of salt put in the cookie didn't make it taste good. Staring at the shorter male with a stunned expression, Iwaizumi who was already stressed and exhausted became even more stressed, exhausted, and to top it off, irritated.

"Hinata," he called out, "do you hate me?"

Hearing this, Hinata blinked and shook his head fervently. "No! I actually made that so you would not hate me!" he explained.

Even with that statement, Iwaizumi didn't feel good. Out of irritation, he decided to list all the things that Hinata did to him ever since the younger man appeared in the share house. "First, you accidentally throw Legos and a dustpan at my face. Second, you accidentally rip my shirt open. Third, you accidentally break stuff when I'm near. Fourth, you accidentally push me away when I'm just trying to help you. And now, I think you just intentionally put lots of salt in these cookies."

Hinata's eyes widened as he heard what Iwaizumi said. He snatched one cookie and took a bite and then, his face scrunched up in disgust as he savored the taste. Glancing at Iwaizumi guiltily, Hinata bowed lowly once again.

"It was an accident! I don't know why it tastes salty! I swear I put lots of sugar in the mix," he clarified.

Iwaizumi nodded in understanding before blurting out, "Won't you say sorry?"

With his head lowered, the shorter male started saying his apology. "I'm sor – " Hinata didn't continue his sentence when he realized that he didn't intentionally put lots of salt in the cookie mix and since it wasn't intentional (like all of the other incidents he apologized for), there was no need to apologize. Raising his head with resolve, Hinata took a deep breath before standing up. "No." he disobeyed. "I won't apologize! I didn't do it intentionally so there's no need to say sorry!" he exclaimed.

Iwaizumi felt even more irritated as he stood up as well and faced the shorter male. "You're the one who made the cookies. Who else could be blamed but you?" he spoke with sternness.

"Yeah, I made them! But I didn't make it with lots of salt to be there! In fact, I made it with lots of effort and desperately hoped that you'd like them!" Hinata retorted with tenacity which only irked Iwaizumi even more.

"Then should I apologize? Say I'm sorry that I tasted it and called it salty?" Iwaizumi pointed at himself and spoke with sarcasm.

Hinata nodded ardently. "You should apologize 'cause I'm not going to! No matter how scary you are right now!"

Iwaizumi huffed and out of annoyance, gave Hinata a chop to the head. After that, the two men halted as they processed what Iwaizumi just did. Hinata slowly held his head and stared at the taller man with a pained eyes. Witnessing this for the first time, Iwaizumi felt inclined to apologize and that was exactly what he did.

"Ow! That hurt!" Hinata whined as he rubbed his head.

"I... sorry." Iwaizumi mumbled as he backed away. He looked down at his shoes then back to Hinata and to his surprise, the younger man had a look of amazement.

"Whoa... did you just apologize?" Hinata exclaimed with eagerness.

"What… no! I didn't!" Iwaizumi plainly denied the statement as he looked away. "God, just get out!" He motioned for Hinata to leave the room. He soon caught a glimpse of the younger male proceeding to exit his room but when Hinata paused and turned around to face Iwaizumi, he felt the need to yell a cuss word.

"Iwaizumi-san, you're not scary after all. You're actually pretty decent." Hinata complimented without hesitation. He sent a sunny grin back toward Iwaizumi before leaving the room. Once Iwaizumi was alone, he huffed in irritation. He noticed the plate of cookies on his bed and immediately, he recalled what the shortest man on the house told him a few minutes ago.

 _"In fact, I made it with lots of effort and desperately hoped that you'd like it!"_

Clicking his tongue, Iwaizumi took one cookie and ate it. He shuddered at how unsavory the baked good was but kept eating it nonetheless. Underneath his breath, he muttered something that sounded like "fucking brat."

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **This second chapter is pretty long! I already created my longest chapter with 5,735! Yay!**

 **If you're wondering, Hinata is a kindergarten teacher, Kageyama is national athlete(guess what sport), Oikawa is Kags' sports agent, and Iwa is part of the HR who fixes problems and other stuff. Suga might look like a minor character but don't worry, he's a part of the major characters! And... the last male character as well. Guess who it is~~~ you would find out on chapter 4.**

 **Anyway, can you guys guess who's gonna end up with who? Like... I created this to break the usual pairings seen in the fandom so since it's that way, I'm interested with who you think will end up together~~~ Still, their personalities... if it's a bit off, you can tell me since I'm constantly worried about it and yeah, ciao~~~**


	3. Don't Be So Dramatic

"Agent 002, where you at?" Oikawa questioned as he hid behind the couch with a gun in hand.

"This is Agent 003. Agent 002 was kidnapped by the dark princess," Sugawara informed in a hushed tone as he made sure to sneakily observe the target.

"This is Agent 002! I got out! I'll put the target down!" Hinata exclaimed as he ran to the living room with a gun in his hand. He then hid behind the wall and wondered if the girl was there. All of a sudden, the girl shot the television and shouted, "Get out! Mi – no, I will shoot the whole place down!"

"Dammit, that girl's really crazy," Sugawara said as he pushed a bullet inside his gun. He then aimed towards the dark princess and carefully tracked her moves.

"Agent 003, I'll attack her now." Oikawa spoke grimly as he readied his two guns. He smirked cunningly as he held the guns tightly.

"No!" Hinata suddenly shouted. "You can't go there, Agent 001! She's too dangerous," he reminded as he searched for the brunette.

"Where are you? I'll help you Agent 001," Sugawara suggested while he roamed in search of Oikawa. The three males searched the place to find one another and when they finally did, they grinned as they joined forces.

"Do you think you can defeat Mi – me? You can never do that! I'm absolute!" the dark princess cried as she pointed her gun towards Oikawa and pulled the trigger.

It was too fast. Hinata and Sugawara watched as the brunette fell down with a loud thud. They saw that Oikawa hit his head on the floor and instantly, they kneeled beside the brunette's body.

"No! Oikawa-san!" Hinata cried as Sugawara gritted his teeth in remorse.

"If only I... if only I was strong enough!" Sugawara shouted his guilt as he pointed his gun at the girl. "With this gun, I will end injustice and make the world better. This is the only time I will kill someone after the decision to stop killing people." With that said, Sugawara pulled the trigger while the girl aimed the gun towards him as well. At the same time, they shot each other. Unfortunately, the girl was unfazed. So unfazed that she shouted, "Headshot!"

Sugawara fell down instantly leaving Hinata mourning on his own. He sobbed as he witnessed Agent 003 with a bullet in the head. "Brother! Why did you leave me?!" Hinata told Sugawara as he bawled his eyes out.

"Shouyo..." Oikawa uttered and quickly, Hinata glanced at the older man and took hold of his hand.

"Don't speak. I'll get help," the younger male said but Oikawa held his cheek and caressed it gently.

"There's something," Oikawa coughed, "you need to know." The situation took on a serious air and as Hinata tightened his hold on the brunette, Oikawa felt his life flash in front of his eyes making him smile with content. "Shouyo, I am your," he choked out, coughing, "brother."

After that, Oikawa died.

Hinata yelled as he realized that the brother he was trying to find after ten years was not Sugawara but Oikawa. Even though Sugawara was not his biological brother, Hinata made memories with him and although Oikawa hid the truth from him, Hinata was still close to the brunette. Now, Hinata was all alone with no one to lean on and no one to trust. Standing up, Hinata aimed the gun back at the dark princess.

"Let's end this. I'll defeat you," Hinata blurted out as the girl sneered at him before pointing the gun. The two stood still until Hinata pulled the trigger but before he could do anything, someone poked his side with a stick.

Hinata fell down.

Hinata held his waist.

Hinata shouted on the top of his lungs. "Impossible! An attack that doesn't have a gun!" he cried out in disbelief.

In front of him was Iwaizumi with a broom.

"What did I say?" he grilled them with a look of disappointment.

"Didn't I say clean? Why are all of you using your slippers as guns then?! Do you even see how much mess you're creating?!" he queried angrily. He went to Oikawa and stabbed him in the side with the broom. Next, he went to Sugawara and nudged him as well. Once the two older males sat up, they pretended to have been reborn. This irritated Iwaizumi so he feigned to hit the two with the broom and instantly, Oikawa and Sugawara ran away from him and towards Hinata.

"Go clean the house!" Iwaizumi scolded as he swept the floor with crumpled papers (called bombs by the agents) and lots of slippers. Why did he have to clean the house after he got home? He'd hoped that Sugawara was mature but guess what? Sugawara was the one who suggested to act like an agent with Miho as the villain. Then of course, since it seemed fun, Oikawa agreed. Hinata came after and was told that he'd be the person who lost a brother. With the three messy males and an equally messy child, Iwaizumi wondered if he would be able to live through the end of the month. He observed the three men and found Hinata sitting on the couch with his phone.

"Oi, Hinata. What are you doing?" Iwaizumi called out.

Hinata faced him and gave a soft smile. "My mom is calling. I'll clean later," he mumbled weakly before going to his room and closing the door behind him. Iwaizumi wondered what that was all about so he looked at Sugawara and found the gray-haired man putting all the books and notebook away.

"Come to think of it, why did Shou-chan move here?" Oikawa suddenly asked.

This time, Sugawara answered. "My brother-in-law said that he won't make Hinata pay for the rent here as long as he takes care of Miho. Hinata, on the other hand, needs to save money for his mother."

"Really? Why?" Oikawa probed with interest.

"His mother needs an open-heart surgery." Sugawara quietly responded.

Oikawa blinked as he grasped what that meant. "What about his father?" he asked.

"Oh," Sugawara muttered as he chuckled sheepishly while rubbing the back of his neck. "Well... I don't know if I'm in any position to say this... but, Hinata's father died when he graduated high school. It's one of the reasons why he gave up on volleyball."

The living room went silent after what Sugawara said. Perhaps it was because they were struck with the realization that the younger male probably carried a lot on his shoulders or maybe it was because he was forced to give up on something he loves. Volleyball.

Sugawara heaved a sigh while picking up the last crumpled paper on the floor. Even now, the words volleyball, Hinata, and give up still didn't mash well nor did it sound better in his head. It was like a sentence filled with sadness and Sugawara understood why. It was not like he could disagree with the younger male's decisions on giving up on the sport he loves since Sugawara wasn't any better than him. He chose financial stability instead of something he was happy with. It was hypocritical for him to criticize Hinata's choices when they'd both made the decision to stop playing volleyball.

Meanwhile, Iwaizumi mused about how Hinata didn't look like he even had a problem at all. He guessed that it was because Hinata was a kindergarten teacher and showing even a hint of sadness in front of a child wasn't allowed. With that in mind, Iwaizumi felt a wave of pity for the younger male but he pushed it away and kept cleaning. He could worry about another person later.

Three seconds passed, then ten seconds, then fifteen. A whole minute passed.

It was no use. Iwaizumi was worried and so were Oikawa and Sugawara. As the people who were older than Hinata, they felt the need to help the younger male out.

"This is weird... why do I feel like I wanna help Shou-chan?" Oikawa mumbled out loud. He gazed at Sugawara and saw the laidback smile.

"Don't worry. That's normal. Even I felt that way when I first got to know Hinata," he assured before plopping down on the couch. Oikawa was next as he sprawled himself on the sofa. Iwaizumi was the last one to sit down on the couch.

"What do we do? We should help him, but how?" asked Iwaizumi.

All of a sudden, Hinata came out of his room and walked into the living room. He faced the three older men and smiled brightly. "I'm heading to work at a bar nearby. My shift starts at 6 and ends at 1 AM so don't worry if I'm not home before bed," he informed and instantly, the three men gaped at him.

"Do you even know what you're supposed to do at a bar?" Iwaizumi asked with disbelief.

"Of course! I'll be a bartender!" Hinata stated with eagerness. Sugawara almost supported his underclassman, except, he didn't want to.

"Hinata," Sugawara called out, "your work is nearby but what if something bad happens?"

Hinata stopped in realization. He hummed, clearly deep in his thoughts. He then snapped his fingers and said, "I'll be fine! Don't worry about me! I can handle myself."

"Handle yourself? You can't even keep your eyes open when watching a horror movie," Sugawara muttered as he crossed his arms and leaned on the couch.

Realizing that Iwaizumi and Sugawara would keep disagreeing with him, Hinata glanced at Oikawa. The brunette caught the younger male's gaze and forced a smile. Hinata then asked him, "What about you, Oikawa-san? It won't be bad for me to work as a bartender, right?"

Oikawa hummed in thought as he checked the two men's expressions beside him. Seeing that they weren't threatening, Oikawa made up his mind and opened his mouth to speak. "As long as you give me free drinks when I visit, then it's fine."

Hinata beamed and nodded fervently. "Okay! Come and visit anytime! The drinks are on me," said Hinata.

"But – "

Oikawa cut Sugawara's sentence off and said, "It's fine, it's fine! Nothing bad would happen to Shou-chan! He's a grown man although he doesn't look like it!"

Iwaizumi deadpanned at his friend's reaction. Why did Oikawa have to agree as long as it tailored to his needs? But Oikawa aside, Iwaizumi glanced briefly at Sugawara before staring at Hinata. "Won't you get tired? You won't get enough sleep with that work," said Iwaizumi.

"No! I can do it! When I didn't have work two years ago, I worked as a bartender so I can do this!" Hinata pumped his fist in the air. "Fight on, me!" he cheered himself on while looking determined.

That was it. Sugawara knew that there was no one who could stop Hinata once he decided to do something.

Heaving a sigh, Iwaizumi blurted out, "Just make sure to be alert at night."

"Okay. I'll keep safe," Hinata replied.

"If something happens, call us," Iwaizumi reminded.

"I will." Hinata smiled as he nodded obediently.

"And bring pepper spray."

"Eh? Do I need to?"

"Yeah, you need to! It's so you can be safe at night!"

"Okay, I'll bring one."

"Good."

Oikawa and Sugawara eyed the two males in front of them. With their conversation that only included the two of them, Oikawa and Sugawara felt like they were intruding on a moment. Clicking his tongue, Oikawa commented, "What's this? Why are Iwa-chan and Shou-chan acting like a newly married couple? It's unusual."

Iwaizumi and Hinata brushed the comment off until Sugawara said something.

"Did that plate of cookie make you become friends?"

Iwaizumi shuddered at the memory of eating the whole plate of salty cookies. He could almost feel his body weakening with the amount of salt he had consumed. It was a good thing that water existed because Iwaizumi downed eleven glasses of water after he finished eating the whole plate.

Meanwhile, Hinata grumbled at the thought of failing at making cookies. He recalled the time when he also had a fight with Iwaizumi and instantly, Hinata tensed. He shouldn't have fought with the older male. What was he thinking? Did Hinata think that he could take on someone taller than him? Just the thought of it made Hinata tremble with nervousness.

"Never mind that plate of cookie! I have to fix myself before going to the bar!" Hinata said as he went inside his room to grab a change of clothes. He headed to the bathroom to take a bath. The three men watched as Hinata fussed over going to his part-time job.

Sugawara side-eyed Iwaizumi and Oikawa. For someone who got defeated by Hinata, it was amazing how quickly Hinata had managed to get close to them. Hinata's social skills were truly a legendary skill that only Hinata had mastered. Making people worry about him just by knowing him for a week was a remarkable feat. Sugawara guessed that he didn't need to worry that much.

Once Hinata got ready, he bid goodbye to the three older men and left the house. The three sat on the couch, peace surrounding them. Miho was asleep and the three of them were tired. It was five thirty in the evening and they all felt sleepy. The noise that came from the television was drowned out by their tiredness as they felt their eyes droop. While they completely succumbed to sleep, the three men were slumped on the couch.

Until the sound of the door creaking open then getting slammed closed woke them up.

Iwaizumi shook his sleepiness off as he eyed the hallway and waited for the person who entered. Oikawa narrowed his eyes and kept his attention towards the hallway while Sugawara yawned and stared at the person who'd walked in on them.

Kageyama looked at his three former seniors. His gaze went to Oikawa, confusing the brunette but he guessed that Kageyama was angry about the fact that Oikawa had forced him to go to a sports center. It wasn't Oikawa's fault though. A training was being held at that sports center for teens who were expected to be talented and skilled at volleyball and since Kageyama wasn't doing anything and was just resting, Oikawa added the training to Kageyama's schedule. After all, one of the facilitators of the event had wanted Kageyama to visit so Oikawa had merely granted their wishes.

"What? Are you angry with me?" Oikawa questioned lazily.

"Oikawa-san," Kageyama started, "thank you."

Iwaizumi and Oikawa did a double-take while Sugawara sat properly and faced the black-haired setter.

"Okay Kageyama, breathe carefully and explain us what happened. There's no need to get aggressive," Sugawara spoke gently as he tried to calm Kageyama down but he was already calm so Kageyama didn't know why Sugawara acted like that.

"I am calm," Kageyama said nonchalantly.

"Oh my god. Tobio-chan thanked me... is this a dream? No, it's a nightmare." Oikawa talked to himself before looking at Iwaizumi. "Iwa-chan, am I going to die? I don't wanna die!" he whined.

Iwaizumi gave Oikawa a chop in the forehead to snap him out of it. Afterward, he turned to Kageyama. "Did Oikawa do something? Did he force you to do something you didn't want?" Iwaizumi asked softly. Oikawa felt offended by what his childhood friend asked.

"No, Oikawa-san didn't do anything wrong. I'm just..." Kageyama paused and all of a sudden, to the three men's shock and horror, Kageyama smiled. It was not the smile that he had when he was winning something nor was it the horrifying smile that he had. Kageyama smiled and looked like he was blushing.

"I think I found it," Kageyama uttered, "If I didn't go to that sports center, I wouldn't have found it so thank you, Oikawa-san."

Oikawa yelled as he covered his ears. It was horror. It was scarier to hear his former rival thank him for something unknown than Iwaizumi finding out that Oikawa didn't go to sleep in favor of watching lots of videos about the opposite team's matches. It was that scary.

"Quit it! What are you talking about anyway?! I don't remember helping you!" Oikawa cried. Suddenly, Kageyama said something out of character.

"I found someone I'll marry."

Oikawa slapped himself and groaned. He glared at Kageyama and motioned him to go to his room. "You're just tired! Go get some sleep and stop imagining weird things!" he scolded.

"I'm serious. I got her number," Kageyama stated. This caught the three males' attention.

Sugawara was the first one to react. "Wow! Kageyama, where did you get that skill? You got it from me, right?" he insisted.

Oikawa scoffed at him and retorted, "Oi, Tobio-chan got the skill from me. Right, Tobio-chan?"

Iwaizumi gazed at the two and heaved a sigh. He'd let them argue but for now, Iwaizumi needed to find out what Kageyama was fussing about.

"Kageyama, who's the girl?" he questioned.

"She's the same age as me and she knows about volleyball and is good at it as well. She actually gave me her number." Kageyama informed before looking at his phone then going to his gallery. He tapped on a photo and showed it to Iwaizumi. Oikawa and Sugawara moved closer to Iwaizumi to get a better look at the picture. The three of them gasped when they witnessed the picture of a girl laid out in front of them. Iwaizumi and Sugawara wowed at the girl's appearance. Oikawa, on the other hand, did not gasp just because he found the woman beautiful. Sure, she was attractive but Oikawa had something to say to Kageyama.

Pushing himself up, Oikawa went and grabbed Kageyama's collar. "That's my ex-girlfriend!"

The room went quiet and after a second, Iwaizumi choked on his own spit, Sugawara did a sharp inhale of air, Kageyama shouted a "what", while Oikawa glared at his former rival.

"Your ex-girlfriend? That means..." Kageyama froze before gleaming back at Oikawa. "So what? If she's your ex, then you don't have any business with her anymore," said Kageyama.

"What? I don't have any business with her? Who said I don't?!" Oikawa tightened his grip on Kageyama's collar. "I called her last night! We had a looooong talk and decided to meet tomorrow! Don't get in the way!" The brunette exclaimed as he pushed Kageyama.

"But... you two are... you two broke up!" Kageyama shouted back.

"Well surprise, Tobio-chan! It seems like we're getting back together!" Oikawa spoke spitefully.

Iwaizumi couldn't believe it. Kageyama's phone was still in his hands and he decided to look down at it. He carefully observed the girl who took a selfie on Kageyama's phone. Now Iwaizumi remembered her. She was the longest relationship Oikawa had had. The brunette was in college back then and he would frequently call Iwaizumi to tell him about this girl who understood him and appreciated him. Iwaizumi recalled when Oikawa broke down when his relationship with that girl ended. It was a depressing time for Oikawa. Iwaizumi didn't do anything and simply gave him ten cans of beer. Since it sounded like Oikawa was getting back together with the girl, Iwaizumi decided to support his friend.

Sugawara stared at the image. Even before, he never saw Kageyama smile like a love-struck man. This was a first for Sugawara as well and seeing that Kageyama looked passionate enough, he guessed that he'd support Kageyama. The girl seemed kind, she played volleyball, and surely, she wouldn't mind Kageyama. She even took a selfie with him so she must be friendly. That's good since she could probably balance Kageyama's lack of social skills. Maybe Kageyama would learn a few things from her, Sugawara thought. If she could change the awkward black-haired setter and make him happy, then Sugawara would feel relieved. Smiling to himself, Sugawara decided to support his former underclassman.

Then, Sugawara stared at Iwaizumi.

"Seems like Oikawa finally met someone decent."

"Kageyama finally met someone who gets him."

The two male gazed at each other with conflicting ideas. Iwaizumi forced a smile while Sugawara grinned sweetly.

"Iwaizumi-san, it's obvious, isn't it? Kageyama finally met someone who can appreciate him and accept him." Sugawara spoke sweetly. Too sweet to be real.

"I think you're wrong Sugawara. Oikawa gets the girl and that girl gets him. They have memories of each other and that would make them more compatible," Iwaizumi retaliated.

Sugawara huffed. "Why did they break up then? Did Oikawa's mother not accept the girl since she came from a poor family? Did the girl have a dark secret and went away to avoid hurting Oikawa? Surely, something so similar to a drama like that couldn't actually happen so it's obvious! She broke up with Oikawa because something didn't work out!"

"What are you talking about?!" Iwaizumi argued. "She broke up with Oikawa because her parents didn't approve of Oikawa! They loved each other but her parents didn't want their daughter with a flirt!"

"What?! That's freaking weird! This isn't a drama!"

"Apparently, it is! There's no other reason than that!"

As Iwaizumi and Sugawara argued about their clashing ideas, Oikawa and Kageyama glared at each other with a plan to make the other look bad in front of the girl.

"Tobio-chan, don't you dare get in the way tomorrow. I'll really change your schedule and make you do lots of photoshoots," Oikawa threatened.

"Go. Do it. I won't back down against you. I'm not the same middle-school kid you almost punched before." Kageyama spoke with a hint of aggressiveness.

The two males' threats were heard by Iwaizumi and Sugawara so they stopped fighting and looked at their respective friend.

"Hah! You got nothing against me! I have the upper hand here," the brunette argued.

"Upper hand? Well, I've got her parents' approval! Her father was there and he told me that he admired me!" Kageyama yelled back. "Her father disapproved of you and unlike you, he liked me!"

"What did you say? Say that again. Come on, say it!" Oikawa hurled himself towards Kageyama but Iwaizumi held him back. Kageyama clicked his tongue and decided to give the brunette a punch in the face but as soon as he stepped forward, Sugawara held him fast by the arms and pulled him back.

Oikawa cursed at Kageyama while Kageyama shouted at the brunette. Iwaizumi and Sugawara were forced to stop the two from fighting.

Unbeknownst to them, Miho had woken up and to her surprise, Sugawara's phone, which was placed on the small cabinet beside the bed, started ringing loudly. She then picked it up and when she heard the voice of the caller, she beamed cheerily.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Ohhhh... I finally updated after April 23! Yay~~~**

 **And it seems like the new character will appear next chapter after all! Sorry for getting your hopes up :( BTW, I hope that you don't mind the OC kid. I wrote her for comedic purpose, to add to the comedy, if you will ;)**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter! More hilarious situations to come soon ~(ㅇㅅㅇ)~**


	4. Shocking, Isn't It?

Oikawa and Kageyama sat in front of Shiho, the woman who had caused the two men to fight in the first place.

"So Tooru is actually Kageyama-kun's sports agent, huh? This is kinda cool! The three of us are kind of connected then?" Shiho commented, clearly amused. She smiled softly and Oikawa couldn't help but smile back.

The truth was, Oikawa didn't actually want to get back together with Shiho. His pride just couldn't accept the fact that Kageyama might have a chance with a woman who'd broken up with the brunette. In Oikawa's perspective, it was like letting your enemy win and if there was anything that Oikawa couldn't stomach, it was losing, especially if Kageyama was his opponent. So here he was, sitting in front of his former girlfriend who invited him to catch up with her simply because they were good friends and nothing more.

Kageyama didn't like that Oikawa sat beside him. Why, in all layers of heaven, was Oikawa the former boyfriend of the person Kageyama likes? It irritated the younger male and almost ruined his day. Almost, since Shiho was still in front of him, smiling kindly. So it wasn't really that bad at all if she was there.

"What's wrong? You two look constipated," Shiho remarked before taking a sip from her drink.

"Nothing's wrong!" Both Oikawa and Kageyama retorted at the same time.

Shiho raised an eyebrow before putting her drink down. "You two... are having a fight, aren't you?" she guessed.

Oikawa blinked while Kageyama went quiet. All of a sudden, Oikawa forced a strained smile before putting an arm over Kageyama's shoulders. "We're not fighting! We're close friends, see?" The brunette grinned as he pulled Kageyama closer. The younger male tried to pull himself away to no avail.

Shiho laughed at the two men in front of her and as a result the two stopped pushing and pulling at one another and simply stared at the woman. Oikawa then removed his arm over Kageyama's shoulder and sent a glare that disappeared when he looked back at Shiho.

Kageyama cleared his throat and gave Oikawa a side glare. He then gazed at Shiho. "Uh... Shiho-san, can we talk in private?" he asked.

The woman was baffled as to why Kageyama would want that but she smiled kindly and asked why.

Kageyama froze as he thought of a reason for both of them to converse in private. "Well, I wanted to—"

Oikawa suddenly coughed loudly, interrupting Kageyama. When Shiho leaned in closer while asking if the brunette was okay, Kageyama swore that he saw Oikawa smirk at him. The black-haired man couldn't believe Oikawa's low and underhanded trick. Why did he even do that? Oikawa had broke up with the female so it shouldn't matter to him anymore but if that was how Oikawa would act, then Kageyama wouldn't lose.

"Sorry. I choked on my water," Oikawa spoke and Kageyama sensed a hint of smugness in his voice.

"Geez, you choke on everything! I always told you to be careful!" the woman scolded as she sighed in relief.

Oikawa laughed lightly at what she said. "I don't choke on anything though. It's more like I—"

"Shiho-san, excuse me for a minute!" Kageyama interrupted Oikawa earning him a glare from the older man.

"Why? Where are you going?" Shiho asked with her chin resting on her palm.

"To the bathroom," Kageyama informed so Shiho nodded and motioned the male to go ahead. She watched as Kageyama stood up but when he did, Shiho was surprised to see Kageyama wince and plop back down on his seat again.

Shiho furrowed her eyebrows in worry. "Are you alright, Kageyama-kun?"

Kageyama bit his tongue before saying, "Actually... I kinda sprained my ankle earlier while I was doing my morning jog."

Shiho gasped at what she heard whereas Oikawa scoffed at what the younger male said. It was obviously a lie. Kageyama didn't do his morning jog today. Kageyama was busy stalking Oikawa and planning to accidentally bump into him while the brunette was with Shiho so it would look like a complete coincidence.

"It's good that you jog every morning but... why did you sprain your ankle?" Shiho asked.

"Well... there was a cat stuck in a tree and I saved it but as I was coming down, I fell." Kageyama lied.

Oikawa narrowed his eyes and hated the younger male beside him. Lying and playing injured, huh? If that was what Kageyama wanted then he'd play with him.

"Do you want me to help you go to the bathroom? I'll get you to the door and wait for you outside," Shiho offered kindly.

Kageyama blinked, stunned that a person would actually help him but it was no surprise since Shiho was a naturally kind person. Shaking his head, Kageyama said, "You don't have to. I can do it by myself."

"No, I'll help you. You're an athlete so it's best to get your injuries healed as soon as possible," Shiho insisted before pushing herself up.

Kageyama nodded, being a bit bashful but when he caught a glimpse of Oikawa looking, he smirked before gazing at Shiho. "I'll let you help me if you don't—"

"I'll help Tobio-chan!" Oikawa piped up as he stood and grabbed Kageyama's shoulders.

"Tobio-chan, stand up! I'll help you since I'm your sports agent." He spoke with a hint of malice in his voice.

"Oh! I forgot about that! Go help him Tooru!" Shiho replied while backing away from Kageyama and sitting back in her seat.

Kageyama cursed at Oikawa in his mind. That was the time where he could've gotten close to Shiho but of course, Oikawa just had to ruin it. Damn it Oikawa-san, Kageyama thought to himself.

Oikawa subsequently snaked an arm around Kageyama's waist as he grinned deviously. Kageyama, on the other hand, glowered at the older, taller male beside him. He was eager to push the brunette away from him but since Shiho was there watching them, Kageyama held back the urge and swallowed his pride. The two men limped to the bathroom and once they were inside, they both pushed the other away from them.

Kageyama tapped his clothes as if Oikawa had made him dirty while Oikawa washed his hands, still disgusted by the fact that he was in a close proximity to his former rival. Oikawa then faced Kageyama.

"I told you to not get in the way, didn't I? Do you think I wouldn't catch on to what you're doing?" Oikawa hissed.

"You went ahead and did it first. You didn't even drink that much so how can you cough?" Kageyama retorted.

"I did choke!" Oikawa argued.

"You took a sip from a straw! How could you choke that easily?! Are you a baby?!" Kageyama yelled back.

The two male stared daggers at each other until Oikawa groaned and looked away. "Do that while I find a more effective way to get Shiho's attention," he told Kageyama with confidence.

Kageyama huffed before saying, "It'll take years until you find a more effective way." The two men then kept glaring until Oikawa went close to Kageyama who in turn, put an arm around the brunette's shoulder. Together, they exited the bathroom with Oikawa appearing to help Kageyama who pretended to walk limply.

Once the two were seated, Shiho beamed at them. "You two seem close. Are you two related to each other?" she asked.

Oikawa and Kageyama were about to deny the accusation until Shiho said, "Both of you seem to help each other. I like that."

"Well, it's what we do! We're friends after all!" Oikawa replied while grinning with fakery. Kageyama nodded, giving a small smile as well.

Suddenly, Oikawa had an idea. "Shiho, do you have a boyfriend?" he asked.

Shiho blinked at the sudden question. She gave a gentle smile before answering, "No but I—"

"Then what do you want in a man?" Kageyama asked as he leaned closer.

"Well... someone who gets me and understands what I'm talking about." Shiho answered as she showed a soft blush.

"Someone taller than me would be cool as well," she added.

Oikawa side-eyed Kageyama and saw him staring at the female in front of him with eyes of veneration. It rang a bell in Oikawa's mind. That face that the younger man was making just now.

Shiho continued, "Someone who's kind and kinda quiet and would listen to me."

Hearing that, Oikawa pondered over the possibility of Kageyama actually having a lover. He caught a glimpse of Kageyama leaning away and staring at the woman in front of him, carefully thinking about how he could be the man that Shiho was talking about. Oikawa heaved a sigh and felt an urge to tell Kageyama that what Shiho wanted in a man could easily be applied to Kageyama.

"And someone who plays volleyball," she finished.

With that said, Oikawa knew that Kageyama had a chance. The brunette stared at the younger male and saw a small smile on his face. _"Ahh... that expression, it was similar to how he looked at me before. That's why it was familiar."_ Oikawa told himself internally.

Smiling softly, Oikawa leaned closer and gazed at Shiho with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Doesn't that sound like Tobio-chan? Do you wanna ask him out or something?" he teased playfully causing Shiho to stare at him with shock while Kageyama's eyes widened at what he heard.

"Oikawa-san..." Kageyama muttered with disbelief.

Oikawa heard this so he smirked. "Tobio-chan has all of those traits. Aren't you making yourself obvious, Shiho? Ever heard of subtlety?" He kept on teasing the woman who was now blushing furiously.

"What are you talking about? You're being ridiculous!" Shiho spoke bashfully before gazing at Kageyama. "Don't mind him, Kageyama-kun. I might've said that but... I don't really want a boyfriend right now," she informed.

"Eh? Why?" Oikawa whined as he perched his chin on top of his palm.

"Umm... it's because..." Shiho smiled timidly. "I have a fiancé. I'm engaged so I don't need a boyfriend."

Oikawa and Kageyama froze dead in their tracks. Slowly, Oikawa turned to Kageyama and saw the black-haired man's shocked face. What is Kageyama feeling right now? _"After looking so excited, he got rejected indirectly."_ Oikawa thought. He forced a smile and looked at Shiho. "Really? Congratulations! Invite me to your wedding!" he said so happily that Kageyama was confused by his reaction.

 _"Why isn't he affected?"_ Kageyama mused internally.

"Who is it? Who's the lucky man you got yourself engaged to?" Oikawa asked with interest.

"Eh? Do I have to say it? I think the news would report my marriage so just wait for the news channel to tell," Shiho spoke bashfully.

"Why? Is your fiancé famous? Whoa, is it an actor?" Oikawa questioned.

"No! Marrying an actor is troublesome. The one I'll marry is a volleyball player. He's Kageyama-kun's teammate actually."

Kageyama perked up when he heard that. His teammate? Who? No one had told the team that they'd be getting married so who was it?

"Actually, I went out with you because he has business near this restaurant," Shiho told Oikawa. This irked the brunette so he looked around and found no one who looked like they were on Japan's national team.

"Oh! Here he is!" Shiho exclaimed as she waved with a fond smile.

The two males spun around to see who the lucky man was and to their surprise and shock, they gasped.

"U-u-u-Ushiwaka?!" Oikawa exclaimed as he turned around and faced Shiho. "Him? Really? Why?!" he asked frantically but when he recalled what Shiho wanted, he face-palmed. Someone who understood her, someone tall, kind, quiet, and listened to her. Someone who played volleyball. It wasn't Kageyama she had described perfectly, it was Ushijima.

Kageyama froze as he felt himself slump in his seat. He stared at Shiho and saw her smiling affectionately. What a lucky man, Kageyama thought to himself.

"Kageyama...? And... Oikawa? What are you two doing here?" Ushijima asked as he sat beside Shiho. He observed Oikawa and Kageyama only to see both of them with their heads lowered. Oikawa covered his face and grumbled whereas Kageyama had his head down the table with his arms around his head so others wouldn't see his face.

Shiho blinked in confusion and carefully scanned the two males in front of her. Were they possibly...? Shiho then laughed when she realized what was happening. She turned to Ushijima and smiled. "You better apologize to Kageyama-kun. You stole something from him," she commented with amusement.

Ushijima simply raised an eyebrow, puzzled by what the woman told him.

* * *

Oikawa and Kageyama trotted back lazily.

The surprise they'd found out today had wasted all of their energy. It had made them exhausted and they simply wanted to go back home and lie on the bed while eating something that was probably not healthy.

Oikawa gazed sideways at Kageyama. "I didn't lose to you, Tobio-chan... but I lost to Ushiwaka which is even more humiliating. I hate it," he spoke with annoyance before heaving a sigh. Whatever, he thought, Shiho looked contented so he should let it go. The problem is, Kageyama looked empty.

When Oikawa heard a sigh from Kageyama, he stopped walking. "Oi, Tobio-chan, cut it out! You should've expected this! How can someone so attractive be single?! Anyone would ask her out, it's obvious!" Oikawa reprimanded.

Kageyama glared at him and groaned. "What about you?! You're attractive _and_ single!" Kageyama snarled.

Scoffing, Oikawa took a step forward and grabbed Kageyama's collar. "Did you just... did you snarl at me?! How dare you snarl at me you – " Oikawa stopped when he noticed something weird in Kageyama's sentence. It felt misplaced so Oikawa warily analyzed what Kageyama said and once he did, Oikawa let go of Kageyama. He shakily pointed at the younger male as he walked back in confusion and astonishment.

"You – what did you... did you just say that I look attractive? Was that a compliment?" Oikawa queried in shock. He eyed Kageyama's face and once again to his surprise, Kageyama went red before clicking his tongue and turning around to proceed walking back home. As he did, Oikawa couldn't help but watch as Kageyama stomped his way towards their home. The brunette smirked in amusement as he pushed his hair back to prevent it from blocking his vision. He then chased after the younger male.

"Tobio-chan thinks I'm attractive? I know that already! You don't have to tell me!" Oikawa said as he came up beside Kageyama to tease him more.

"Tsk! Go away!" Kageyama pushed the brunette away from him but Oikawa avoided the push and grinned playfully.

"Hush, Tobio-chan! I know what you're feeling!" Oikawa raised his palm in front of Kageyama. "You're embarrassed to accept that I'm attractive and that's fine! It takes time for a person to realize how handsome I am so Tobio-chan, take your time," the brunette commented before walking ahead of Kageyama.

Kageyama cursed under his breath. He cursed at how he'd said something like that, since now Oikawa had something to use against him. Kageyama seriously had to be careful or he might end up accidentally giving the brunette a lot of blackmail material against him.

* * *

Oikawa held the mic tightly while Hinata and Sugawara were behind him.

Oikawa was singing the Eye of the Tiger while Hinata and Sugawara reenacted a scene from Rocky. Kageyama and Miho watched but their expressions differed. Kageyama wore a bored expression while eating a snack whereas Miho seemed excited about the display laid out in front of her. Miho felt like she forgot something but she pushed it behind her and kept grinning at the show in front of her.

Once the song ended, Sugawara took the mic and held it close to his mouth. When the song started playing, Oikawa and Hinata had the audacity to do the Naruto run. Sugawara held the mic tightly before singing.

 _"Issen no se... de fumikomu gorain bokura wa. Nani mo! Nani mo! Mada shiranu!"_ Sugawara sang the sixteenth opening of Naruto. He did the Naruto run as he sang and when he reached the lyrics, he, Oikawa, and Hinata all felt the need to suddenly run around the house.

 _"Oboetenai koto mo! Takusan atta darou! Oh! Oh! Nani mo! Kare mo! Shi-ru-eeetto!"_ Sugawara belted out as he ran around the living room while holding the wireless microphone. After the song finished, a sad tune was heard and he gave it to Hinata. The shortest man in the room accepted it and displayed a gloomy expression as Chasing Cars played.

 _"We'll do it all. Everything... on our own... We don't need... anything... or anyone."_ Hinata sang solemnly, his Japanese accent evident as he sang in English. _"If I lay here... If I just lay here... would you lie with me and just forget the world?"_

Oikawa and Sugawara harmonized with Hinata.

Kageyama heaved a sigh at the three men's actions. He didn't know why they were singing but it started when Sugawara informed that there was a wireless microphone in his brother-in-law's house and somehow, Oikawa and Hinata figured that singing would liven up the situation. So instead of watching TV like the usual, they'd decided to sing with all their hearts. Kageyama heaved another sigh when the song reached its climax and the three were belting out Chasing Cars' chorus with amplified emotions as well as voices.

Hinata huffed and puffed as he tried to catch his breath. Shouting to cover the fact that you couldn't sing the high notes tired Hinata out. He was walking back and was about to stumble when someone suddenly held his shoulders to prevent him from falling back. When he turned around, he gave a small sound of surprise.

"Eek!" Hinata uttered before backing away from Iwaizumi. Hearing this, Iwaizumi shook his head in disapproval before staring at the other two singers.

"You three... what do you think you're doing?" Iwaizumi grilled with kept-up irritation.

"Iwa-chan, we were singing. I think it's obvious." Oikawa replied with a snarky attitude so Iwaizumi grabbed a pillow from the couch and hurled it towards his friend.

"I know what you're doing! I'm asking if you have any idea in how much noise you're creating!" he explained before glaring at Sugawara. "Were you the one who suggested this? Again?" he interrogated.

Sugawara blinked, feigning innocence, before shaking his head in denial. "No," he answered before pointing at Oikawa. "It was him."

"What?! Oi, Mr. Refreshing, are you blaming me?!" Oikawa questioned as he fixed his hair that had been ruined by the sudden pillow hurled at him. "I didn't suggest it, Iwa-chan! It was him, not me!" Oikawa pointed at Sugawara.

Iwaizumi pinched the bridge of his nose before looking at Hinata, who flinched and backed away.

"Hinata."

The younger male gulped as he sent a strained smile. "Yes, Iwaizumi-san?" he asked sweetly to prevent suspicion and glanced at the two older males behind Iwaizumi, only to see Oikawa and Sugawara glaring at each other. Since the two seemed to be in a bad mood, who would help Hinata now? He carefully gazed at Iwaizumi and stepped away.

"Who suggested to sing at 9 in the evening?" Iwaizumi grilled and Hinata wondered if he should lie or not. His attention went to the two men and he caught Sugawara and Oikawa giving him a pleading look. It looked like Sugawara didn't want to say that he brought the microphone which made Oikawa suggest to sing only for Hinata to be invited by the two older males. Taking a deep breath, Hinata glared at Iwaizumi.

"It was me. Why? You wanna fight?" he asked with a shaky voice.

Iwaizumi stared at the shorter male in disbelief. He suggested it? Iwaizumi couldn't believe it but grumbled before sending Hinata a scrutinizing gaze. "Someone knocked on the front door. They complained about how noisy you three are," he informed. He was about to scold Hinata for suggesting to do such a noisy activity so late but when he stared at him, he stopped when he saw Hinata looking guilty and slightly teary-eyed.

"Should I... apologize to our neighbors?" Hinata suggested as he took a step near the older male. Iwaizumi backed away and kept Hinata in his place by holding him in the shoulders so he wouldn't take another step forward.

"I already apologized in your place," Iwaizumi said as he let his arm down. When he did, he was faced with a shorter male who eyed him with admiration.

Hinata turned to Oikawa and Sugawara. "Iwaizumi-san already apologized for us!" he informed happily causing the two older men to clap in happiness, glad about the fact that Hinata had saved them from another scolding. Suddenly, Iwaizumi glared at them so they zipped their lips and stopped clapping.

"Iwaizumi-san, you're really cool! Thanks for apologizing for us! You're so awesome," Hinata repeated his compliment without a second thought.

Oikawa hummed in interest as he watched his childhood friend communicate with the smaller male. He grinned as he witnessed Iwaizumi look flustered for a second. He knew that his friend wasn't used to being complimented so Iwaizumi's reaction was always hilarious when someone praised him. Sugawara grinned mischievously as he observed Hinata. As usual, Hinata was very generous with compliments.

"Eh? What's wrong with you? Are you sick? You're turning red," Hinata remarked while furrowing his eyebrows.

Iwaizumi feigned a punch before stopping himself and putting his hand down. He grumbled at the younger man and said, "Cut it out! You're too generous with your compliments!"

"Isn't that a good thing?" Hinata queried naively.

"It isn't!" Iwaizumi huffed before turning away from the younger male. He really couldn't handle someone who was too energetic and liked giving praise. It made him awkward and he didn't like it.

All of a sudden, a knock was heard stopping the group of housemates from talking. Kageyama stood up and was about to head to the hallway but halted when Miho pulled his shirt. "Blueberry should stay," she whined.

Kageyama blinked, unused to the nickname. He didn't know what to do with a kid since he didn't have a sibling but since the girl was asking him to stay, he chose to sit back down and let the others open the door.

Sugawara decided to be the one opening it so as he walked warily, Oikawa, Iwaizumi, and Hinata watched his back while Kageyama and Miho sat on the couch, leaning over the side to catch a glimpse of who had knocked on the door.

Sugawara twisted the door knob and when he pulled it open, he gave a sharp inhale while Oikawa and Iwaizumi gawked, Hinata and Kageyama's eyes widened, and Miho wowed at the man in front of Sugawara.

"Tsukki?" Sugawara mumbled before looking down on Tsukishima's feet, only to find two pieces of luggage. Covering his mouth in shock, Sugawara turned around and ran to the living room.

"Hinata! Kageyama! Tsukki's here!" he informed the males happily before Hinata joined him with the celebration. The two men hugged each other before jumping happily. Kageyama scowled and glared back at the television while Miho laid down on Kageyama's lap to observe the new housemate. She kept remembering something but she couldn't quite recall it right now.

"Argh! God damn it! Mr. Refreshing, stop bringing your children here!" Oikawa shouted in exasperation. "The next thing I know, I'll wake up with all of the crows inside my room!"

Iwaizumi covered his face and resisted the temptation to hit his head in the wall. Great. More people to add to the noise. He hoped that this blond newcomer wasn't noisy.

Tsukishima sighed before pulling his luggage inside and closing the door behind him. He quietly went to room 205 and grabbed the key in his pocket. He ignored the noise but when Hinata shouted his name, Tsukishima felt the urge to storm out of the house. He didn't though. He'd already paid for one month of rent so he couldn't leave, otherwise he'd be wasting money and that was the last thing he wanted.

"Yo, Tsukishima! Why are you here?" Hinata queried as he approached the tall blond but Tsukishima held his arm out and pushed the shorter male back.

Smirking with a hint of irritation, he told Hinata, "Guess what? I'm your housemate now."

Sugawara grinned while Kageyama scoffed. Oikawa scanned the blond with interest whereas Iwaizumi folded his arms to his chest. Meanwhile, Hinata and Miho beamed.

"Miho remembers now!" the girl exclaimed cheerily, catching the attention of all the men inside the share house. Grinning sunnily, she continued, "Papa told Miho yesterday that a tall blond man would live in room 205! It's him! Tsukishira Kai!" Miho pointed at Tsukishima as she butchered the blond man's name.

Tsukishima, on the other hand, was really hating a certain freckled male at the moment. His childhood friend had decided to tell him to save money by staying in a share house but now look where he was. Tsukishima was in front of people who all gave different reactions to his arrival-none of which were particularly pleasant or desired by the blond.

" _Great. Good job, Tadashi. You've put me in a very troublesome situation,"_ Tsukishima mused to himself.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **This chapter is little early, Isn't it? And yaaaay~~ Finally, some sweet moments after all that humor! Do you like it?**

 **And Tsukki's here! He's the new character I'm talking about! He'll soon ba able to adjust to the group, don't worry! By the way, don't be shocked if there are songs in this story. I like songs so I'll add it :)**


	5. I'm Insulted & Confused

Miho observed Tsukishima warily.

"Are you a good man?" Miho queried innocently.

Tsukishima stared blankly back at the girl and replied, "I don't know, but I've never committed a crime so probably."

Iwaizumi, Sugawara and Miho eyed Tsukishima with a deadpan expression while Oikawa, Kageyama, and Hinata looked at the blond male with confusion.

Sugawara cleared his throat. "Tsukishima, it's 9 in the evening and you just appeared here out of nowhere. Can you explain why?" asked Sugawara.

Tsukishima thought about his explanation.

"I stayed at the library the whole day and forgot about the time," he said as he looked away. Oikawa hummed in an understanding manner before he grinned mischievously.

"Glasses-kun doesn't have any friends, huh?" he mused out loud to see if Tsukishima would be easy to irritate. The brunette waited for a reaction from the blond but unfortunately, Tsukishima simply sighed and nodded in acceptance.

"That's a shame!" Miho exclaimed. "Miho will be your friend!" she pointed at herself before walking towards the blond and raising her palm.

"Shake hands with Miho!" she demanded. Tsukishima eyed the small hand and sneered. The young girl gasped and ran over to Sugawara, clutching his pant leg.

"Kou-kun, that man... he's bad. Miho feels it in her bones," the girl spoke insensitively. She glared at Tsukishima and growled at him. "Miho doesn't like you," she stated.

Tsukishima nodded with a smirk. "Oh? Really? Good news! The feeling is mutual," he told the girl with smugness. This made Miho flinch as she snarled at the male.

"Miho hates you!" She then stopped and looked up at Sugawara before adding, "Kou-kun hates you as well!"

The bespectacled man huffed and ignored the childish remarks.

"Are you seriously fighting with a kid?" Iwaizumi commented with his arms crossed.

"Glasses-kun seems to be childish." Oikawa said again, attempting to irritate Tsukishima and to his surprise, the blond snapped back.

"And you seem to be an eyesore."

Oikawa lurched forward to square Tsukishima in the face but Hinata, who was on Oikawa's left, immediately held the brunette in place while Iwaizumi did the same on Oikawa's right side.

"Don't stop me! That brat's throwing shade at me so he gets a punch thrown at him in return!" Oikawa said angrily.

Kageyama eyed his former senior with an empty expression. What the hell was wrong with him? He was the one keen on irritating Tsukishima so he should've expected the blond male to snap back.

"Violence isn't the answer!" Hinata shouted so loudly that the others stopped to stare at him. The orange-haired male grinned softly before he said, "Let's all just get to know each other better and be friends!"

Tsukishima pushed his glasses up and gazed at the shortest male in the room. "Hinata, how's being a kindergarten teacher after quitting volleyball?" Tsukishima asked, testing if Hinata would act impulsively and attack him.

Hinata beamed and said, "It's cool! The kids are cute!"

"Is that so? It's a miracle that you haven't done something stupid... like kidnapping a child," Tsukishima retorted.

Hinata chuckled light-heartedly. "There are times when I think of that especially since they're so adorable! But since I see them every week, I stopped thinking that!"

The others winced when they heard Hinata say that. It was surprising to see Hinata act so laid-back with the taller male since for all they knew, Hinata was an impulsive person who relied on his impulse to survive in life.

Sugawara then realized, Hinata had really grown up and with that thought he began to tear up and brushed at his eyes hastily to wipe them before someone saw.

"It's amazing... Hinata can actually communicate with the blond... and he isn't affected at all," Iwaizumi murmured and Kageyama nodded in agreement. The orange-haired man had just become used to how stingy and insensitive Tsukishima could be so it wasn't much of a surprise.

Soon, Tsukishima gave up on trying to annoy Hinata and looked away from him but unfortunately, he came face-to-face with Sugawara who had an oddly mischievous smile on his face.

"Tsukki, what's your job?" Sugawara questioned with a hint of playfulness.

Tsukishima wondered if he should say it. He just wanted to rest so maybe not. He then stood up but as he did, he felt someone tug on his pants. When he looked down, he saw Miho holding his pants down while holding a red toy car in the other.

"Kou-kun is talking to you. Speak to him," she spoke grimly.

Tsukishima found himself becoming irritated by the young girl's actions, but he chose to hold his tongue.

"Her name is Miho. Isn't she cute?" Sugawara asked calmly, gesturing to Tsukki's leg attachment.

When Tsukishima looked down, he found Miho looking like the kid from The Grudge, especially with her black hair and wide eyed stare that seemed to convey the message that she despised the bespectacled male. Tsukishima gulped. He could almost see some dark aura surrounding the girl.

Meanwhile, Iwaizumi and Kageyama watched Miho seemingly put a deadly curse on Tsukishima. They then had one thought. _"The fuck is wrong with that kid?"_

Oikawa and Hinata sent a blank look at Miho. They didn't know how Sugawara got Miho obsessed with him but they were slightly creeped out and wished for the cute girl to come back to the normal and adorable kid they used to know.

Sugawara, on the other hand, grinned. He knew exactly what Miho did, he just pretended to stay unfazed. It was interesting to see the blond man acting so childish after all. It was quite amusing watching Tsukishima argue with a kid and Sugawara knew that Miho could say exactly the right thing to annoy the male. He believed that his niece would be as good as riling people up and pranking others like Sugawara himself, who may look like the voice of reason in the share house at first glance, but was actually the mastermind of every mess that Iwaizumi hated and was a master of getting Oikawa in trouble.

"Sugawara-san, take care of your... whatever she is to you," Tsukishima said as he tried to get Miho away from his leg but the girl held tightly.

Miho stayed unfazed by all the shaking but suddenly, she felt her nose itch but she didn't scratch it. She then jerked her head back and sneezed loudly, earning the attention of all the men in the living room.

Tsukishima eyed the kid with wariness and when Miho jerked her head back again, Tsukishima froze.

There, on his pants, was a lovely glob of snot.

"Ahhhhhhh." Miho took a deep breath before she loudly cried, "Hah! Hah! Hah! Hah! Hah! How's that feel?! Miho got snot in your pants!" she declared proudly. Tsukishima clenched his hands and lowered himself. He then grabbed the girl's head and said, "If you don't let go, I'll make you wash it all off right now."

Miho winched as she quickly stood up. She went over to Sugawara and when she did, the ashen-haired male wiped the snot off of Miho's nose. While Hinata, Kageyama, Oikawa, and Iwaizumi didn't hold back in laughing, Sugawara kept his snicker all to himself. He had to remain composed or else, he wouldn't get Miho to tease Tsukishima with a poker face for the rest of the night. He had to hold it in until it was time to sleep that way, Tsukishima wouldn't notice that it was Sugawara who kept telling Miho to rile him up.

The next day, Tsukishima woke up when he heard someone impersonating the sound of a train. He opened his eyes only to see Miho playing with two toy trains. That wouldn't have been a problem if it weren't the fact that Miho had placed the train tracks right around Tsukishima's bed.

"Oi, midget... do you know what you're doing?" he asked.

"I know, Mr. Lamppost. It's two trains racing," Miho retorted.

"There's no such thing."

"In Miho's mind there is, so get over it."

Tsukishima couldn't believe a kid was throwing this much shade at him. That wasn't possible unless the kid was smart and if that was the case, then Miho must be incredibly intelligent for her age. Tsukishima narrowed his eyes and grabbed his glasses from the small drawer beside his bed. He put the glasses on and stared at Miho.

"How old are you?" he asked.

This caught Miho off-guard as she backed away. "You're trying to make a small-talk with Miho? Are you sure you're Tsukihara Komi?" queried Miho with a stunned look.

Tsukishima scowled. "Stop butchering my name, it's – "

"Oh, Miho knows your name. Someone just told Miho that you hated it when Miho says the wrong one and it's funny." She removed the train tracks around the blond man's bed and left the room.

If Tsukishima was still half-asleep and was dreaming then it would explain why he felt like he saw the young girl exit his room with a hint of smugness and satisfaction. But the kid aside, Tsukishima was quite irked by the statement that Miho made seconds ago.

Grumbling as he leaned on his bed, Tsukishima resolved to find out who the person behind his torment was.

* * *

Iwaizumi was not pleased with his day.

First, he had been woken up by the racket of Oikawa and Kageyama arguing while Hinata whined about rude Tsukishima was. Second, Sugawara and Hinata had to loudly chase Miho this morning so they could make her go take a bath but in the end, Iwaizumi managed to scare the kid into taking her bath. Third, Iwaizumi was irritated to see the house was dirty before he left so he'd had to clean it first before leaving. Fourth, he'd arrived five minutes late and that wouldn't have been a problem but one annoying co-worker of his mocked him because he was late. Fifth, another brawl had erupted in the office and this time it was between two girls who'd found out that they'd been dating the same guy and, of course, those two girls called their squads and somehow, those two girls ended up becoming ten and Iwaizumi didn't know how he would manage ten angry women so in an attempt to make them stop fighting, Iwaizumi had to call Oikawa for suggestions and while he didn't like it, he could say that at least it helped stop the fight.

Now that he was at home, he couldn't manage the noise in the share house. It was so loud, it felt as if Iwaizumi's eardrums would explode.

Oikawa and Sugawara had teamed up against Kageyama and now Kageyama was shouting at both of them to stop. They were playing Mario Kart.

Tsukishima snickered as he taunted Kageyama for sucking at gaming which made the black-haired male swear at him and in return, Sugawara, of course being motherly towards Miho, scolded Kageyama to not swear in front of a child. As Kageyama rampaged, Sugawara took that instant to push Kageyama's Luigi character out of the way. While this happened, Oikawa used it as a chance to throw a banana or whatever he had at Kageyama, causing the darker-haired male's cart to spin out of control.

Tsukishima laughed at Kageyama while Miho loudly chortled as well while calling the black-haired male "useless and rotten blueberry."

Obviously, Kageyama shouted angrily at this as he cussed again which made Sugawara repeat the same actions he did earlier with Oikawa, Tsukishima and Miho following after.

Needless to say, Iwaizumi didn't like the noise so in an attempt to escape a potential headache, he went outside of the share house and decided to roam to find some peace of mind.

Wandering around, he went pass the bakery and smelled the scent of newly baked bread. In front of the said bakery was a coffee shop and Iwaizumi got a whiff of a freshly brewed coffee. The two aromas made the male feel as if it was morning again despite it being 7 in the evening. He then kept walking and when he was meters away from his house but still near enough that he could somehow walk home without needing to rest, he found a bar with a few people inside. Iwaizumi guessed that there were no customers yet because it was still too early for anyone to be out drinking. He observed the bar until someone came out.

It was Hinata.

Hinata blinked when he saw Iwaizumi outside the bar but quickly started beaming as he waved. "Yo, Iwaizumi-san!" he greeted before approaching the older man.

Iwaizumi observed the bar carefully and saw that it didn't look like anything interesting would be happening inside. It was just a normal bar where people could drink and no one inside would be dancing. It wasn't a club or anything, it was just a place where old men or exhausted employees could have a glass of something or other after hours of hard work.

"What are you doing here?" Hinata asked as he stood beside the taller male.

"I was just roaming around," Iwaizumi answered. "It really is near our house. The place you work at, I mean."

"I told you! You should trust me a bit more!" Hinata cheerily replied and they started walking back home.

The two kept a safe distance away from each other. They kept quiet until Hinata decided to break the silence. Although Iwaizumi preferred it silent, he didn't mind the shorter male since he wasn't really that rambunctious.

"Why were you roaming around? Shouldn't you be resting?" asked Hinata.

"It was too noisy inside the house," Iwaizumi responded.

"Ohh..."

It was silent again. Iwaizumi glanced sideways at the shorter male and saw that Hinata seemed to worry about talking too much, if Iwaizumi guessed correctly. Being aware that the younger male always started the conversation, the taller male spoke first to break the quietness.

"Why did you leave work early? Shouldn't you be coming home at 2 in the morning or something?"

"It wasn't my shift today! I thought I had to work but it was tomorrow after all!" Hinata rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"If you can't remember it then put a note in your phone," Iwaizumi suggested.

"Okay! I'll do that," the younger male agreed.

Hearing this, Iwaizumi sighed in relief. At least Hinata wasn't as noisy as he'd expected the male to be. If he was as sly as Sugawara or full of himself like Oikawa or even half as snarky as Tsukishima then Iwaizumi wouldn't be able to take it. He'd have to move to a different share house or at least move to an apartment where he'd have his own quiet space.

In truth, Hinata was nervous. He wasn't scared but he was anxious. He seemed to have sensed that the older male wanted silence so Hinata didn't talk as much as he normally would whenever he was with Oikawa or Sugawara or anyone else for that matter. He then heard the taller male sigh and because of this, Hinata felt the need to ask him what was wrong but Hinata was afraid that he might be irritating so he kept quiet and swallowed his curiosity.

A second passed, then three seconds, then a whole minute. Hinata couldn't take it so he faced Iwaizumi.

"Is there something wrong? You seem stressed? I mean, you always look stressed! But I didn't mean it in a bad way... I mean, being stressed is bad but I didn't mean it like Tsukishima would and I... well... I'm actually..." Hinata looked down the ground in embarrassment. "I'm just worried about you," he murmured as he felt his cheeks grow warmer.

Witnessing how Hinata tripped over his words and embarrass himself made Iwaizumi smirk. _"What the hell was that about?"_ Iwaizumi thought to himself. Was Hinata usually that nervy? He didn't look like that when Iwaizumi first saw him.

"What are you trying to say? Make it clear," the taller male spoke calmly.

"I'm worried!" Hinata snapped. "You look stressed so I want to know why!"

"Ah... me? Stressed." Iwaizumi hummed. "Hmm... well, work is always the reason so do you even need to ask that?"

"Of course! Work! Work is stressful!" Hinata retorted as he calmed down. He gazed at the older male and said, "But Iwaizumi-san... if you can manage that job for years then you must be pretty tough! Actually, no! You're tough! Don't let this get you down, whatever it is that's troubling you!"

Iwaizumi was once again stunned by how easily the orange-haired male could praise people.

"Stop complimenting me that much! Aren't you embarrassed?" queried Iwaizumi.

Hinata then shook his head. "I wouldn't be saying it if it wasn't true! If I say that you're cool or awesome or tough then it's true!"

"Argh! Cut it out!" Iwaizumi scoffed as he walked ahead of Hinata, leaving the shorter male to his thoughts.

 _"Iwaizumi-san... he isn't used to compliments or... it's more like... he hates compliments. Does that mean... he prefers to get insulted?"_ Hinata thought internally as he observed the stressed male walk away from him. Hinata then gasped as he realized what that meant.

The two men spent the rest of the trip home in silence, and when they finally arrived, Iwaizumi immediately went back to his room while Hinata rushed to the living room. He faced the four males and Miho in the living room then plopped down onto the sofa. He took a deep breath as he organized his thoughts. Once he did, he grabbed the other's attention and then, he made a serious face.

"I've made an observation," he spoke grimly.

Oikawa raised an eyebrow while Hinata's former teammates simply sighed. Miho leaned closer and approached Hinata.

Hinata gulped. "It's about Iwaizumi-san."

Oikawa blinked before smirking. "What is it? I doubt that there's anything I don't know about Iwa-chan so spill it Shou-chan," he said confidently.

Hinata eyed the brunette before saying, "I think Iwaizumi-san likes being insulted."

The group went quiet. They gaped at what Hinata said. Tsukishima was the first to speak.

"Are you implying that he's a maso –"

"Hinata! What are you saying?!" Sugawara yelled in order to drown out whatever Tsukishima's snide comment was about to be. It was better if Hinata didn't know what the bespectacled male stated or else it would break not only Miho's innocence but the ginger's as well.

Meanwhile, Oikawa smirked. "Insult him then," he urged, earning him a surprised look from Hinata. Dropping the controller and resting his chin on top of his palm, he said, "If Iwa-chan gets turned on, what would you do?"

Hinata turned red. "Not in that way!"

"What do you mean? You said, he likes getting insulted." Oikawa teased.

"No! It's the same way when someone praises me! I like getting praised but you don't–"

Oikawa grinned deviously. "Ohhh, so Shou-chan has a praise kink?"

"No, I don't!" Hinata shook his head emphatically, face as red as a tomato.

Kageyama watched as Oikawa tormented Hinata. He narrowed his eyed before pushing Oikawa off the couch with his foot. The brunette then fell on his bottom as Kageyama huffed. "Stop bullying him! Both of you are too noisy!" Kageyama scolded.

Oikawa groaned at the black-haired male. He should be arguing with his former underclassman but he wanted to play with the orange-haired male first. He glanced at Sugawara and smiled underhandedly.

The ashen-haired male noticed so he smiled back. Sugawara then shifted his gaze from Oikawa to Tsukishima before grinning slyly. Tsukishima caught on so he eyed Hinata and cleared his throat.

"Let's all insult him then." Tsukishima pushed his glasses up. "Let's see if Iwaizumi-san likes getting insulted."

"Really? We'll do that?" Hinata exclaimed.

Tsukishima nodded as he covered his smirk.

"Miho thinks that no one would like getting insulted." Miho commented.

Oikawa puffed as he folded his arms. "Miho-chi, adults have different tastes! Don't be surprised if you find out that some people like getting tied with a rope, getting kicked or even getting – "

"Oikawa-san! Quit it! She's just a kid!" Kageyama pushed the brunette again with his foot. Oikawa growled at the younger male. "Stop pushing me with your foot!" he snapped.

As the moment transpired, Hinata started to wonder if any of this was actually a good idea...

Morning arrived and Iwaizumi came out of his room. When he did, Hinata was coincidentally standing in front of his door.

"Oh! I was about to wake you up, Iwa – " Hinata paused when he recalled something. Taking a deep breath, he glared at the taller man. "Ba-ba-bas-basta."

Iwaizumi stared down at the younger man. Did he want to say something or was he experiencing a seizure? After he kept his focus on the shorter male, Iwaizumi heard something off about Hinata.

"Good morning... you stressed bastard."

With that said, Hinata beamed at the older male before leaving Iwaizumi in front of his door, frozen about the sudden word that came from the unexpected Hinata. _"Did he just insult me? Does he actually hate me?"_ he mused internally as he leaned on his doorway. Iwaizumi felt like this day would be worse than yesterday. With the weird introduction to his day, Iwaizumi went to the kitchen and then, he was called names.

"Oi, Iwa-chan, you old fart! Let's eat!"

"Iwaizumi-san, good morning! As usual, you look fucked up!"

"Iwaizumi, how about we eat? Breakfast looks good unlike you."

"Ahh... Iwaizumi-san, Hinata wanted me to tell you that you suck at life. Ever thought of being homeless? You could pass as one."

"Iwajime! Miho wants to tell you that you're pathetic!"

Hearing those insults, Iwaizumi wondered if he was being shunned. He eyed the others' expressions and saw that they didn't look like they meant any harm which meant one thing, they were playing around. Iwaizumi gritted his teeth and decided to take a bath instead until Hinata called him out. Of course, Iwaizumi thought about what Hinata had said earlier but maybe he meant no harm by it so he turned to Hinata and saw the younger male smiling kindly with a plate of breakfast in his hand.

"Iwaizumi-san, you should eat first before you go take a bath."

Iwaizumi took the offer and grabbed the plate. He took a bite of the sunny-side up eggs but when he did, it was far from being delicious.

Hinata grinned sunnily before saying, "Oh! I made it like you. Salty."

Iwaizumi glowered at Hinata, who flinched in return. "Hinata..." he mumbled as he put the plate down. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Do you really hate me?" he grilled the younger male furiously as he cracked his knuckles.

Oikawa cussed under his breath as he readied himself just in case he had to run to stop his friend from hitting someone innocent.

"No! Of course not! I did it because I think you like getting insulted!" Hinata spoke without being aware that the older male looked more than annoyed.

"What kind of thinking is that?!"

"You didn't look like you liked getting praised!"

"What?! Because of that you concluded that I like getting insulted?! No one would like bring called a stressed bastard or an old fart or hearing I look fucked up or how I suck at life and am pathetic!"

The group went quiet as Iwaizumi huffed and puffed at his rant. Hinata felt guilty as he observed Iwaizumi turn around and walk back into his room. This time, he'd really pissed the older man off. Hinata groaned and faced the group with a worried expression. His shoulders slumped. "What should I do? I think I really got him angry this time," Hinata mumbled to himself.

The four men and Miho stared at Hinata worriedly.

"Maybe you should... go to him?" Oikawa suggested, earning him wary looks.

"That's like putting meat in a lion's den," Tsukishima commented as he looked away from the shortest male in the group.

Kageyama gazed at Hinata and clicked his tongue. "You shouldn't have suggested it in the first place, you dumbass," he said in an unusually soft voice.

Sugawara heaved a sigh as he stared at the orange-haired male. "Since you worry so much, how about you just tell him? I'm sure he'll understand." Sugawara finally sounded like the voice of reason.

Hinata inhaled deeply before nodding. He marched to Iwaizumi's room and knocked. He then opened it and saw the older male pulling clothes out of his closet. Iwaizumi stopped and eyed Hinata blankly causing the shorter male to gulp and close the door behind him.

"Iwaizumi-san, I'm sorry for insulting you," he apologized straightforwardly. He bowed then raised his head after a second. He observed the older male stare at him with crossed arms.

"Why did you do that anyway? You're a dumbass," he stated.

"Yeah, I know. I get called that a lot, especially by Kageyama."

Iwaizumi blinked and realized that Kageyama did call Hinata that a lot. He guessed that it had a more fond tone to it since they'd been friends for a long time. Iwaizumi then sighed and looked at Hinata before motioning him to explain.

Hinata nodded before opening his mouth to speak. "Actually, I was worried about you last night. You looked stressed so I wanted to cheer you up but when I complimented you, you got angry so I thought maybe it would work the other way and if I insulted you, you would be glad but it didn't work so I'm apologizing. I didn't do it because I hate you or anything! I did it because I was worried!" Hinata ranted without pausing a second to breathe. He also made unusual hand gestures as he explained.

Iwaizumi really couldn't understand why Hinata acted like this sometimes. "You're aware that you're too kind, right?" he asked.

"Huh?" Hinata uttered. "I'm too kind? I think I'm not. This is how I treat everyone."

Iwaizumi cocked his head to the left before asking, "Do you apologize to others every single time?"

"No," Hinata answered.

"Do you take the responsibility to clean alone even though they offered to help you?" queried Iwaizumi.

"No."

"Do you bake cookies for them?"

"No, you were the first one I made cookies for."

This stopped Iwaizumi for a while. He bit the inside of his cheeks to stop himself from smiling before asking, "Do you make an assumption that they like getting insulted then proceed to insult them because that would probably cheer them up?"

"What? That's embarrassing! No!"

"Then why did you do all of that for me?"

The room went quiet as Hinata blinked and realized what Iwaizumi was talking about. Well, Hinata knew why but he didn't want to say it. The reason was kind of cringeworthy and hard to explain, so he kept quiet and pursed his lips together to avoid making a sound. He suddenly had an idea so he looked at Iwaizumi. "It's because we're friends," he reasoned.

Iwaizumi didn't believe it though. He was a labor relations specialist and he dealt with people who had problems and lying was one of those, so he could spot a lie a mile away. And what Hinata had just said was definitely a lie. But it wasn't worth challenging him on it, so he simply sighed and settled for reasoning it out.

"Really?" he countered. "If Sugawara or Oikawa felt down, would you do all this for them? All of what you did to me, I mean, like making cookies and such." He spoke calmly as he let his arms down beside him.

Hinata shook his head. He guessed there was no escaping it. Time to explain.

"Iwaizumi-san, can I tell you something I experienced?" Hinata questioned and when Iwaizumi motioned him to go on, the younger man beamed.

"There was one time when Miho and this kid named Seta both felt sad at the same time. At that time, I figured out that I should just let both of them play cars since that's what Miho liked but somehow, Seta was still down while Miho was already feeling fine. So when I asked Seta, he told me that he didn't want to play cars but he wanted to draw," Hinata recounted with a fond smile. He then looked at Iwaizumi with a soft smile.

"My point is, if there's anything I learned from being a kindergarten teacher, it's that everyone has a different way of being happy and being cheered up. That's why... I won't do it to anyone else," Hinata declared, shocking Iwaizumi. "What I do to you is something that I won't do to anyone else, whether it's Kageyama or Tsukishima or the others. Me making cookies and assuming that you like getting insulted is only meant for you. In short, only Iwaizumi-san is meant to receive this side of me."

Iwaizumi froze at what he heard. He eyed the person in front of him and felt a surge of warmth take over his whole body. He gulped and looked away but when he turned his gaze back towards Hinata, he still felt the odd warm feelings. He calmed his breathing down and heaved a long sigh. What was happening to him? Was this normal? Was his blood pressure rising? Was he sick? Iwaizumi internally panicked while trying to remain calm. To hell with it, he couldn't handle what Hinata had just said. Was that even something a person would say to a friend?

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Iwaizumi nodded before covering his eyes.

"I get it. I forgive you," he mumbled weakly. "For now... can you leave?" he asked as he turned around to prevent the shorter male from seeing his flushed face.

"Eh? Iwaizumi-san, are you okay?" Hinata questioned with worry.

"Yeah! I'm fine! I just need to fix my clothes so I can go to work!" Iwaizumi lied as he let his hand down from his eyes. Hinata furrowed his eyebrows for a while before believing the confused male.

"Okay. I'll be leaving then." Hinata spoke softly before closing the door. Once it was closed, Iwaizumi sunk down the floor and succumbed to the butterflies – no, worms inside his stomach. Something had just happened in that instant and it left Iwaizumi shook. He didn't know what it was but it weirded him out and scared him. He inhaled deeply and caught his breathing. Was he perhaps... no! This was asthma, Iwaizumi tricked himself into believing that.

Yeah, it had to be that. It needed to be that.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Heeeeeeeey! A new chapter updated so quickly! Yaaaaay!**

 **The first pair is appearing! And unless you're into rare pairs, please go ahead because this story will all be about rare pairings! As you can see, Iwa is falling for a certain orange-haired man and no, it will not go as planned. But what do you think? Will they be the first to get together? Or will they not?**


	6. Round Two

It was Sunday. Coincidentally, the six males in the share house had nothing to do.

"Oi, Suga, what do you even do?" Oikawa asked lethargically.

Sugawara leaned on the couch even more. "I'm an IT analyst. I can stay at home and do my work here," he answered.

"Ohhh. That's a nice job. You probably have lots of money," Hinata commented in a daze. He then glanced at Tsukishima. "What about you? What's your job, Tsukishima?"

"I'm still a student."

The others glanced at Tsukishima before returning their gaze to the television. They recalled that Tsukishima often brought lots of medical books home so he must be studying to become a doctor or something.

The group didn't do anything but stay seated on the couch. Iwaizumi and Oikawa were seated on the shorter couch while the rest were on the longer couch in front of the television. Miho, on the other hand, was playing with dinosaurs in the kitchen.

Hinata eyed the television with boredom. A man was showing his skills in rapping and told the interviewer that anyone could do anything as long as they believed they could do it. Hinata's eyes sparkled when he heard the speech so he pushed himself up and kept his gaze at the television.

Tsukishima, Kageyama, and Sugawara caught Hinata and when they saw his expression, their eyes widened. Hinata then ran to his room, leaving the others stunned by the sudden escape.

Tsukishima stood up and went to his room. Kageyama did the same and had the audacity to lock his door. Oikawa eyed Sugawara and demanded an explanation.

"Hinata gets inspired easily. I'll be going back to my room. Good luck dealing with him," Sugawara informed as he called Miho. The two then went inside the room and closed the door but not before Sugawara sent a thumbs-up towards Oikawa and Iwaizumi as well as a good luck. Once the two were alone in the living room, they heard a door opening and soon, Hinata showed himself.

"Yo, wassup!" Hinata showed himself with a cap and a jacket.

Iwaizumi gaped at the ginger while Oikawa blinked in disbelief.

"What the rapper said was right. Anyone can do anything. Nothing is impossible." Hinata uttered as he fixed his cap. His attention shifted from the television to Iwaizumi. "Ah! Do you wanna hear me rap?" he asked.

Iwaizumi and Oikawa glanced briefly at each other before Iwaizumi nodded with uncertainty. Hinata beamed at this and cleared his throat. He calmed his breathing and gave a long exhale.

"Yoooooooooo! Break it down!" Hinata exclaimed. "My name is Shouyo 'cause Imma show you, what I can do! Yeah! I'm so lit like a matchstick and it's so sick, Imma sick beat! Ayo! Imma pull this party down 'tiil the sun's down and break it down yo! Aye!" Hinata ended it with a dab.

Iwaizumi blinked vacantly while Oikawa covered his mouth. The two men looked at Hinata and waited for him to say something yet when Hinata eyed them with anticipation, Iwaizumi gulped before clapping as he forced a grin. He nudged Oikawa to do the same so the brunette cleared his throat before faking a laugh.

"That was great, Shou-chan! Yeah, it was! Break it down!" Oikawa remarked with a strained smile. He glanced at his childhood friend and saw Iwaizumi attempting to escape. Oikawa quickly held onto Iwaizumi's wrist and pulled him back down. Iwaizumi tugged his wrist and glared at Oikawa but unfortunately, the brunette had no intention of being left alone with an orange-haired male who sucked at rapping. The brunette then smiled sweetly at his friend before pulling him back to his seat. Iwaizumi froze when he accidentally made eye contact with Hinata.

 _"Ah... shit. I stared at him."_ Iwaizumi thought as if making eye contact with the shorter male would freeze him.

"Iwaizumi-san, I know this is really sudden but..." Hinata blushed as he looked away.

This petrified Iwaizumi as he gawked at what the younger male mumbled timidly.

"I thought of a rap for you."

Oikawa chortled. He caught a glimpse of his childhood friend staring at Hinata emptily as he nodded. "Ah... really? That's great," Iwaizumi replied nonchalantly.

"Do you wanna hear it?" the rapper-wannabe asked eagerly. Iwaizumi noticed the enthusiastic face that Hinata wore so he nodded indifferently, earning him a silent cheer from Hinata who took another deep breath before starting his rap.

"Yeaaaaaaaahhh! Get it!" Hinata flicked his fingers as if he was whisking water away from his hands. "Ha-ji-me I-wa-i-zu-mi. You're so stressed. Take it easy. Look at me. I'm so free. So be cool. And be happy! Aye!"

Iwaizumi looked at Hinata blankly. He glanced at Oikawa and heaved a sigh.

Oikawa covered his face while his shoulders shook. He soon leaned on his childhood friend's shoulder to prevent himself from falling but Iwaizumi pushed Oikawa away from him resulting in Oikawa dropping down to the floor with his hands on his stomach as he cackled loudly.

Hinata furrowed his eyebrows and removed his cap before looming near the two older men. "Oikawa-san, are you alright? Do you want a rap as well?" queried Hinata, totally oblivious to the fact that his attempts were being laughed at.

"N-no-not really." Oikawa tripped on his words. "I'm fine, Shou-chan. You don't have to make a rap for me."

"You don't want to? Why? Is it bad?" Hinata questioned sadly.

The two men went quiet as they stared at the shortest male in the share house. Was he that unaware of how bad his rap was? How was that possible? Iwaizumi was opening his mouth to spit the truth when Oikawa suddenly clapped.

"It's good! It really is!" the brunette lied.

This made Hinata grin as he jumped for joy.

Iwaizumi was forced to watch the two as he wondered about the possibility of hearing another rap from Hinata again. He hoped not. It was really horrible. Iwaizumi just assumed that Oikawa didn't have the heart to say it. So for the rest of the day, Hinata was rapping nonstop and when the ginger's former teammates finally came out of their rooms, Tsukishima, Kageyama, and Sugawara were tortured by their inability to discourage Hinata from his failed attempts of rapping.

Today was Sunday and somehow, Hinata had managed to ruin the other men's rest day.

* * *

While Miho slept peacefully early in the morning, the men in the share house were awake and lively.

"Shou-chan's an unexpected workaholic," Oikawa mused out loud as he ate a cracker.

"Hmm," Sugawara hummed in agreement, "he needs to pay for his sister's education and his mom's hospital bills."

Tsukishima glanced briefly at Hinata before he went back to reading a book about biology.

Kageyama side-eyed the orange-haired male and saw Hinata cooking something. Was it curry? Kageyama narrowed his eyes and saw that Hinata was whisking egg when he stopped to look at the rice cooker. Hinata then grabbed the salt container and opened it but to his surprise, it was closed too tight. Groaning as he opened the container, it opened with a pop but the salt spilled out onto the counter. Hinata searched for a tissue and when he found it, he grabbed one and wiped the salt up, all the while muttering something about always making a mess.

"What's that dumbass cooking?" Kageyama murmured before he returned his vision towards the television. In the corner of his eyes, he caught a glimpse of Iwaizumi heading to the kitchen.

"Iwa-chan's here. Suga, watch him behave with Shou-chan." Oikawa urged Sugawara to turn around and when he did, the brunette grinned in contentment but because of his demands, Tsukishima and Kageyama turned to look at the kitchen as well through the divider that separated the rooms.

Iwaizumi stiffened when he saw Hinata cooking something. He ignored the younger male and went to get a glass so he could pour himself some water. Afterwards, he placed the glass down on the counter and went ahead to get the water jug inside the refrigerator.

Unfortunately, there was none. He scanned the fridge but there really was none inside.

"Iwaizumi-san, here's the pitcher. I just refilled it," Hinata informed as he showed Iwaizumi the water jug without a lid.

"I'll pour you a glass of water," Hinata suggested kindly. The older male shook his head and took the jug. "No, I can do it by myself," Iwaizumi said as he tugged on the pitcher.

Hinata blinked at the sudden action. "Eh? What's wrong with you?" he asked as he pulled back on the jug.

The two males then started a tug of war with the pitcher as the prize.

Iwaizumi grumbled as he drew the jug close to him. "Do you really wanna pour a glass of water for me?" Iwaizumi asked with irritation and when Hinata nodded, he sighed and decided to let go.

Unluckily for Hinata, the force that he used to pull the pitcher backfired on him as Iwaizumi released his hold on the pitcher. The unlidded water jug's content splashed onto Hinata's face and clothes. This stunned Iwaizumi as he gawked at what he had done.

"You... are you alright?" Iwaizumi queried.

Hinata blinked once again before staring darkly at the older male. He placed the pitcher down and cleared his throat.

"I'm fine. This is just water," Hinata assured before smiling softly.

Iwaizumi bit the inside of his cheek before scanning the counter for a tissue. He found the tissue that, unbeknownst to him, Hinata used to wipe the salt away earlier. Iwaizumi grabbed it before handing it to Hinata, who took it without thinking.

Hinata wiped his eyes with the tissue but immediately recoiled in shock when his eyes began to burn from the salt left on the cloth. "Ow! Ouch! Salt got in my eyes!" Hinata yelped as he rubbed his eyes but it was no use, the salt couldn't be removed. He fussed about his eyes and blinked repeatedly as tears slipped down his cheeks.

"Argh... Iwaizumi-san, where did you get that tissue?" Hinata asked hastily while heading to the sink to wash his eyes.

"The counter," Iwaizumi answered as he furrowed his eyebrows at what he did. He'd done exactly what he was supposed to do so why did things like this always happen whenever the orange-haired male was around?

"Iwaizumi-san, that tissue had salt on it!" Hinata informed with annoyance as he wiped his eyes with water before facing the older male with a frown. "You should check what you have before giving it to others," he scolded lightly, his eyes red and teary. Hinata clicked his tongue and searched for a clean tissue.

"Sorry," Iwaizumi mumbled lowly as he clenched his fists.

"And I thought I could start the week with my favorite clothes. I just got out of bath as well," Hinata whined out loud as he wiped his face. He glanced at the taller male before his eyebrows furrowed. "But it isn't your fault, Iwaizumi-san. Please go to work, you'll be late," he reminded.

"Yeah, I'll be going to work! See you later..." Iwaizumi nodded as a gesture to leave before escaping from the scene. He cussed underneath his breath and pondered about his mistakes. All of a sudden, he heard a snicker and when he looked at the living room, he found four men sitting on the couch wearing matching looks of amusements.

"What are you doing? Go to work." Iwaizumi told them off.

Oikawa grinned mischievously. "Tobio-chan and I will leave in the afternoon," the brunette stated.

Sugawara paused from snickering as he said, "I work at home."

"I was allowed to rest for the day." Tsukishima informed, his face strangely plastered with a look of amusement.

Iwaizumi huffed at the four males' attitudes. He fixed his tie and shook his head in disapproval before leaving. He stopped for a second and turned around to check what the shortest male in the house was doing. When he saw Hinata had resumed cooking, Iwaizumi gave a long sigh before finally exiting the house. Once Iwaizumi was gone, the four men in the living room resumed to snickering, with the exception of Kageyama who simply paused in confusion.

"Iwa-chan acts like that with Shou-chan. It's ridiculous and I think it's because of one thing," Oikawa declared as he raised his index finger.

"What is it?" Sugawara asked as he leaned closer to the brunette.

Oikawa and Sugawara shared the same sly look before they smirked.

"Remember when Shou-chan complimented Iwa-chan?" Oikawa queried then Sugawara nodded. "Iwa-chan isn't used to getting praised and Shou-chan is a person who dishes out compliments like crazy. To top it off, Shou-chan is the complete opposite of Iwa-chan so basically..."

"Hinata and Iwaizumi switched personalities and now, Iwaizumi is the one who's awkward with Hinata?" Sugawara guessed.

Oikawa nodded.

Tsukishima kept his eyes on his book but his ears listened attentively to the conversation. It piqued Tsukishima's interest and since it did, Tsukishima placed his book down and looked at the two older males.

"Does that mean... Iwaizumi-san will get into more messy situations with Hinata?" Tsukishima questioned and when Oikawa smiled knowingly, the blond male snickered in entertainment. Things were getting hilarious.

And as expected, the day finally came to an end. Hinata was resting on the couch as he groaned because of exhaustion. He recalled that he needed to go to the bar for his second shift so he stood up.

"Shou-chan, where are you going?" Oikawa, who was playing Mario Kart with Kageyama and Sugawara, asked as he threw a banana Kageyama's way which made the black-haired male cuss.

Sugawara cackled at the failure of his former underclassman and drove past Oikawa, who screamed in annoyance.

"To work," Hinata answered.

Oikawa hummed in response before he clicked his tongue and shouted at Sugawara not to throw anything at him.

Hinata observed the men in the living room and envied that they had time to play. He wanted to play as well but he couldn't, he had to work for his mother and sister. His eyes then darted to Tsukishima. Hinata recalled that the blond man was studying to become a doctor. Hinata guessed that Tsukishima would earn a hefty amount of money once he started working.

With that in mind, Hinata headed to his room only to stop dead on his tracks when he saw someone opening the door.

Hinata's eyes then widened.

Iwaizumi entered the house looking rather intoxicated.

"O-O-Oikawa-san! Iwaizumi-san's drunk!" Hinata shouted before waving at the drunk male to see if Iwaizumi still had some sense in his body or if he was so intoxicated that he threw common sense out of the window.

Oikawa came up beside Hinata while Kageyama and Sugawara observed the event from the hallway. Tsukishima, who was being pestered by Miho to play dinosaurs, watched the situation from the couch.

"Oikawa!" Iwaizumi called out loudly as he pointed at Hinata while he unsteadily walked towards the shorter man. "The money you borrowed! Give it! Come on!" Iwaizumi spoke the last two phrases in English. Oikawa, Sugawara, and Tsukishima were laughing and honestly, Hinata would be laughing as well if not for the fact that the drunk male was right in front of him.

"Oi, you're not... Okawa," Iwaizumi slurred.

"It's Oikawa, not Okawa," Hinata corrected as he stepped away until the older male grabbed his shoulders firmly.

"You're Hiroshi! Aren't you?!" he exclaimed and Hinata could really feel that he was in front of a drunk man. What did Hinata do to deserve this? Was this his punishment for quitting on volleyball? Hinata hoped not.

"It's Hinata, not Hiroshi," he corrected again.

"Whatever! It's fine, 'tis fine!" Iwaizumi brushed the correction off. "You," he started suddenly pointing at the shorter male's face, "told me I'm cool. I think... you're cu –" Iwaizumi stopped speaking when he suddenly covered his mouth and leaned forward.

Oikawa and Sugawara backed away when they saw that. It was a sign. Iwaizumi would puke any moment now.

Hinata gulped and gently held the intoxicated man's wrist before pushing him off. "Let's get you to your room. Come on." He pulled Iwaizumi but when he made a tug, the male had the nerve to spill his guts on Hinata's clothes. This froze Hinata as he gazed at Iwaizumi with a blank expression.

On the other hand, the people behind Hinata were horrified by the scene in front of them. Hinata's former teammates knew that the shorter male was scary when angered while Oikawa had the common sense to figure out that anyone would flip off if they got spewed at. The men watched Hinata carefully and prayed that no fight would erupt.

Hinata clicked his tongue and recalled his mother. His mother experienced getting puked on lots of times, especially when Hinata and his sister were babies. If his mother could get over it, so could Hinata. Taking one deep inhale, Hinata glanced at the people behind him.

"Can you help me?" Hinata asked as he showed a look of sheepishness.

The next morning, Iwaizumi woke up with a headache. He looked around him and found that he was at his room. He recalled what he did last night. First, he was invited by his boss to drink with other co-workers. Second, Iwaizumi denied but his boss ordered him to so Iwaizumi didn't have a choice. Third, his boss decided to order a bottle of vodka for entertainment purpose. Fourth, Iwaizumi was forced to half the bottle after his boss had bragged about how Iwaizumi could hold his alcohol really well. Obviously, it hadn't gone according to plan. So finally, Iwaizumi had been too intoxicated to remember how he even got home.

Pushing himself up, Iwaizumi went out of his room and woozily walked to the living room.

"Hey, Hinata! The one who spewed their food at you woke up!" Tsukishima disinterestedly called out. Iwaizumi halted when he heard that. Did he puke last night? On Hinata? Iwaizumi tried to recollect the memories last night and to his horror, it was true.

"Argh! God damn it!" Iwaizumi shouted as he kneeled on the ground while holding his head in pain.

Oikawa chortled shamelessly. That was all he could do for his friend. Laugh at his mistakes.

"I made breakfast! Iwaizumi-san, do you wanna eat something to get over your hangover?" Hinata questioned kindly but when he saw Iwaizumi on the ground kneeling, Hinata stopped smiling. "Eh?" he muttered with utter confusion.

Iwaizumi composed himself and stood up. He faced Hinata as he swallowed his fear.

"Hinata, I apologize." He spoke roughly, as if he didn't want to say sorry.

Hinata understood it since he had many friends who acted the same. "Stop worrying about it! It's fine, 'tis fine!" Hinata mimicked what Iwaizumi said last night.

The four men in the living room laughed at what Hinata did but when Iwaizumi glared at them, they silenced themselves.

"Instead of fussing about it, let's eat breakfast before going to work," Hinata spoke before he went back to the kitchen. Iwaizumi stood in stun. The fact that the younger male wasn't annoyed or angry surprised not only Iwaizumi but the others as well. Meanwhile, Sugawara grinned when he realized that what the orange-haired male did was quite mature.

After that, despite Iwaizumi apologizing for the commotion, he made an even bigger mess while eating breakfast. From spilling water to accidentally tripping others, Iwaizumi seriously felt that something was wrong with him.

* * *

Hinata stood with folded arms.

"Please tell me what's wrong. You already made a lot of mess and it's bothering all of us in this house," Hinata told Iwaizumi seriously.

"Nothing! Nothing's wrong!" Iwaizumi denied as he looked away. How could he answer that if he didn't know the answer either? Besides, why was the ginger inside his room?

Hinata grumbled and scratched the back of his neck. He fished for something in his pocket and when he grabbed it, he pulled it out. He then handed it to Iwaizumi. The older male blinked and narrowed his eyes at the candy that was being offered to him. He looked back at Hinata and sent a confused stare which made Hinata smile brightly at him in return. This did not give Iwaizumi any ideas on what he should do so he simply grabbed the candy and opened it before handing it back to Hinata.

This action froze the smaller male. "Ahh... Iwaizumi-san, I'm giving that to you. Please eat it," Hinata declared.

The older male hummed in response before popping the candy in his mouth. He stared at the ginger male's expression and smiled when he saw Hinata beaming with contentment.

"I made you eat that candy since kids usually lower their guards while eating."

Iwaizumi did a spit-take when he heard that. "Do you think I'm a kid? If you wanted me to calm down, then you could've told me instead," Iwaizumi said but kept the gum in his mouth.

"I told you yesterday that you should calm down and instead of calming down, you accidentally spilled all your food on me." Hinata retorted. "It's been a whole week Iwaizumi-san. You keep on making a mess again and again. Don't you feel bad for us? Please tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong."

"Then keep that gum in your mouth. Both of us are staying inside your room until you start telling me what's wrong."Hinata hid his grin. He'd spent lots of time with kids and since most kids were stubborn, Hinata knew how to treat people who were persistent on not saying anything. Sooner or later, the older male would end up confiding to him. Hinata felt a wave of satisfaction hit him. Being a teacher really made him good at dealing with people. Hinata had to thank a certain someone for suggesting to him to become a kindergarten teacher.

"Not saying anything? Let's stay like this then," Hinata said with a hint of smugness.

But Iwaizumi heard it. He was getting irritated by how determined the younger male was.

"I don't know what's wrong with me, okay? Stop asking me," he mumbled, seemingly sulking.

"Are you sulking?" Hinata asked.

"No, I'm not!"

"Okay, cool."

The two went quiet. The air-conditioned room felt chilly and only the low drone of the machine could be heard. Since it was a Sunday morning, birds were heard outside. The two men kept silent until Iwaizumi clicked his tongue and faced the shorter male.

"You win. I'll tell you," he spoke before angrily chewing on the gum.

Hinata smiled smugly before motioning him to explain.

"Cut it out, Hinata. You're irritating me," Iwaizumi spoke straightforwardly but the younger male simply chuckled with fulfillment. Iwaizumi sat on his bed with an irked expression. How should he explain it? Various thoughts entered his mind and as he skimmed through all of it to see if it was worthy to be told, he had an idea that hit him.

"I'm stressed about what a close co-worker of mine told me."

Hinata raised an eyebrow before moving from his spot. He plopped down on the bed and leaned closer to the older man.

"Uhh... he told me that he feels weird seeing this one person." Iwaizumi added.

"So what your close friend told you bothers you?" Hinata asked for clarification earning him a nod from the older male. Hinata hummed in thought before saying, "Why? What does your co-worker feel?"

Iwaizumi gulped before uttering, "When he sees this person, it's as if he's experiencing an asthma attack. He feels breathless and weak. He gets sweaty and nervous and awkward when he wasn't like that before. And his heartbeat... it's oddly fast."

Hinata blinked before snorting. He covered his mouth and cleared his throat to calm himself. He's an adult now so there's no need to laugh at someone else's problems. Hinata felt the need to act like Sugawara so he composed himself.

"What does your co-worker think of that person? Does he think that they're cute?" queried Hinata.

"Cu-cute?" Iwaizumi stuttered as he observed the male in front of him. "Well... yeah. They're cute."

Hinata grinned when he heard this. "Then, isn't your co-worker interested in being with that person?"

With that said, Iwaizumi puzzled the pieces and finally cleared his mind. He gazed at the person in front of him and huffed in exhaustion. That was all it was and he failed to understand himself. He couldn't believe that he had to confide to someone else just to understand his own feelings. Slapping his forehead, Iwaizumi heaved a long sigh before snorting at how stupid he'd been for the past few days. Why did he even like the younger male?

Smiling gently at Hinata, he said, "So... that means, I'm inter – "

"I won't let you go!"

Iwaizumi was interrupted when he heard Kageyama's voice outside of his room.

Hinata looked to the door before pushing himself up. He headed towards the door and opened it and once he did, Hinata gawked at the scene in front of him.

Iwaizumi walked to the door and stared outside of his room. He sent an empty look once he saw who was causing a commotion outside of his room. The two men eyed Kageyama and Oikawa blankly.

"God damn it, Tobio-chan! Let me go!" Oikawa shouted as he pulled his wrist.

"No! Not unless you cancel that commercial!" Kageyama gripped the brunette's wrist a bit too tightly.

"I won't! I did it for the better so stop whining!"

"I'm an athlete not an actor! I won't do that commercial!"

"You'll earn money!"

"I don't care!"

Iwaizumi pinched the bridge of his nose as he heard the two men argue. He got interrupted because of this? Unbelievable.

"Oi, you two. Quit it. Stop fighting in front of my room," Iwaizumi scolded them calmly.

"Iwa-chan! Grab Tobio-chan so I can go to my date!" Oikawa told his friend. Iwaizumi grunted and glanced at Kageyama, who stared at Iwaizumi with a serious expression.

"I shouldn't be the one being stopped. Iwaizumi-san, please help me," Kageyama pleaded.

Iwaizumi glanced briefly at Hinata. When he saw the ginger's amused expression, Iwaizumi looked at the two arguing males and huffed in irritation. He motioned for the two to go deal with the problem on their own before heading to the living room. Hinata laughed at this before trailing behind Iwaizumi, leaving Kageyama and Oikawa alone with their problem.

Oikawa cussed while Kageyama glared at the brunette.

 _"I have to figure out how to escape from Tobio-chan."_ Oikawa thought begrudgingly.

 _"I have to follow Oikawa-san."_ Kageyama told himself internally.

With that in mind, the two men faced each other with newfound resolve. They'd see who was more determined between the two of them.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Another update for the win!**

 **Iwa is being awkward again! Not much could be said here so if there's something wrong, feel free to tell me :)) It's Oikawa and Kageyama's chapter next chapter. What do you think would happen? Also, next chapter will show Suga's situation so please wait for it~~~**


	7. This Isn't A Date

It was no good.

Oikawa did everything he could to push Kageyama away but to no avail, the brunette had the black-haired male stuck to his side. _"What? This feels like middle school again. I can't push Tobio-chan away,"_ Oikawa thought to himself.

"Oikawa-san, please cancel the commercial. I won't attend it," Kageyama said.

"No. It pays well so stop whining," Oikawa retorted coldly.

"I don't want money," Kageyama replied calmly.

The brunette grumbled. He glanced at his wristwatch and saw the time. 11:08 AM. Great, he was eight minutes late now. Oikawa groaned again and scanned his surroundings. He found a small store and all of a sudden, he smirked before facing Kageyama.

"If you buy me one milk bread in that store, then I'll cancel it," Oikawa lied. He had no intention of cancelling something that would bring him money. He observed Kageyama's expression and to his shock, Kageyama looked eager. The younger male nodded before rushing to the small store. The brunette blinked for a while and wondered if he should stay and wait for Kageyama. He didn't move from his position and pondered on why he wasn't moving. Oikawa clicked his tongue and gave the small store one last stare before sneering and running away.

"Hah! Take that, Tobio-chan! Like hell, I'll cancel that commercial!" Oikawa thought out loud as he ran to the restaurant his date asked to meet.

On the other hand, Kageyama had bought the food that Oikawa asked for but when he exited the store he was totally alone. There was no sign of the brunette.

* * *

The staff inside the cafe gaped at the attractive man who just entered the place. He wore a white hoodie that was slightly oversized and black ripped jeans. It was undeniably simple but the way he confidently wore the clothes made him look like a model. The female staff at the counter had to resist approaching him to ask if he was a model but when the man accidentally glanced at her then smiled, the female felt her cheeks warm up.

The reaction pleased Oikawa. The brunette scanned the cafe for someone and when he found a woman who sat alone, he approached her.

The lady noticed Oikawa walking towards her so she smiled kindly and waved. Once Oikawa was seated in front of her, she pushed the cup of caramel macchiato towards the brunette.

"I didn't know what you liked so I just bought that one," she spoke softly.

"It's fine. I would've done the same." Oikawa said gently. He eyed the lady in front of him and recalled what he said to her before they planned this "date."

"So let me get this straight," Oikawa started. "We're not dating right now. We're just going to try this out since our friends kept insisting. After this, we won't meet each other again."

The female nodded. "Yes. That's exactly what this is."

"Okay then, is there anything you wanna tell me, Takagi-san?"

The female named Takagi blinked when Oikawa asked her that. "Well... actually... the only reason my friend was eager to get me on a date is because... my lover died."

Oikawa deadpanned when he heard that. He shouldn't have asked. He might be good with dealing with people but just like anybody else, he didn't know how to deal with heavy and miserable discussions. The brunette cleared his throat when he saw Takagi tearing up. He grabbed a tissue and handed it to her. Takagi stared at the tissue and took it but when she touched it, a memory resurfaced.

"Ngh... this tissue..." she uttered as she gripped the tissue tightly and started silently sobbing. "Suzuki... I first met him when I got dumped by my boyfriend before him and he handed me a tissue when I was crying... just like now." She then wiped her eyes with the tissue paper.

Oikawa watched the female with an indifferent expression. What the hell? How should he empathize with that? Should he cry as well?

"Ahh... Takagi-san, maybe you should take a sip from your drink?" Oikawa suggested. Takagi nodded before grabbing her cup of coffee but when she gripped it with her right hand, she froze and clenched her left fist.

"Oh my god... this drink... it's Suzuki's favorite drink... Mocha..."

Oikawa didn't know what to do anymore. Why did he accept this so-called date? Was Takagi really sad? Or was she acting?

"Takagi-san, you're not ready to date someone yet and I understand that's why, if you're that sad, please go home," Oikawa spoke softly to hide the fact that he was weirded out. This lady was more dramatic than he ever was, and somehow, he suddenly sort of understood why Iwaizumi felt so irritated when he started acting exaggeratedly.

Takagi sniffed and took a sip of her drink. She then wiped her mouth with another tissue and smiled sweetly. "Thank you for understanding," she muttered. Takagi grabbed her phone then her bag but when she was about to put her phone inside, she froze.

Oikawa swore that he was ready to hit his head on the table. _"Oh my god. She's reminiscing again. It's like she's an anime character that remembers something when she sees a trash on the road,"_ he thought.

"Suzuki!" Takagi cried out, shocking Oikawa. Takagi held her bag as she bawled her eyes out. "Suzuki gave me this bag! I should've given something to him as well!" She wailed as she pounded on her chest in agony.

"Takagi-san!" Oikawa cried making the lady gape at him. Taking a deep breath, Oikawa exclaimed, "Suzuki might be gone but... he wants you to smile! So stop crying and smile for him." The brunette handed her another tissue and smiled at the female.

Takagi felt a tear escape her eyes once again. She shakily took the tissue and wiped her eyes as she smiled softly at the brunette. "You're right... Suzuki would want me happy so I have to keep smiling," Takagi muttered with resolve. She pushed herself up and huffed. "I have to go. I have to visit him at the cemetery one last time before moving on." She spoke dramatically.

Oikawa nodded as his eyes felt wet. Takagi bowed to him before walking away with her bag. As she walked away, she pumped her fist in the air. Oikawa held his chest and pumped his fist in the air as well.

"Fight on, Takagi-san!" Oikawa cheered as Takagi sent a thumbs up without looking back.

Once Oikawa was alone, he wondered what else he should do. He pushed every schedule he had for the day in favor of this date but somehow, he'd ended up experiencing that dramatic scene that Takagi put on instead of enjoying a nice break. He leaned back in his seat and covered his eyes. It was as if destiny was telling him to not date anyone yet. Letting out another sigh, Oikawa lowered his hand and saw a milk bread being laid out in front of him. Oikawa blinked and gazed at the bread. He smiled and realized that maybe he'd be seeing his date again but when he stared at the person who gave it to him, Oikawa froze.

Kageyama was staring at him grimly when Oikawa had the courage to push the younger male and run away but before he could leave, Kageyama managed to hold onto Oikawa's hood.

"Oikawa-san," Kageyama spoke slowly to further demonstrate his anger. The brunette took a deep breath before turning around with a glare of his own. He shouldn't be scared of someone smaller and younger than him so he faced Kageyama. When he saw the male's gleam, Oikawa wanted to step back and bow but hell no! He wouldn't do that. His pride would never allow that. He wouldn't be afraid of Kageyama. It would take him a hundred – no, a thousand years before he'd show his fear of the younger male.

"Tobio-chan, quit it out. You're pissing me off," Oikawa uttered bravely.

"And I'm not?" Kageyama retorted, shutting Oikawa up. "I bought you three milk bread so you better cancel the commercial now," Kageyama stated before letting go of the older male's hood and walking away.

Oikawa observed the younger male exit the cafe before looking at the milk bread placed on the table. It was indeed three milk breads and somehow, Oikawa recalled that he only asked for one. He took the plastic bag and carried it with him before following Kageyama. Once he got outside, he felt the heat of the sun. It was summer after all and while summer season was about to end, it didn't do anything to lessen the heat. Feeling how hot it was, Oikawa had a sudden realization.

"Does that mean that Tobio-chan roamed the place just to find me? In this hot weather?" Oikawa asked himself. Afterwards, he looked down on the plastic bag and heaved a sigh.

The brunette scanned the place to see where Kageyama went. Oikawa saw the younger male and instantly went after him. He gripped the plastic tightly and once he was meters away from Kageyama, he grabbed the younger man's shoulder.

Kageyama stopped walking and turned around, sweaty and looking exhausted. Oikawa blinked and walked back before grabbing his phone from his jean pocket. He dialed someone's number and showed it to the setter.

"I'm cancelling it," said Oikawa. He placed the phone beside his ear and waited for a greeting. When someone greeted him, Oikawa smiled as if he was seeing the person in front of him. "Yes, this is Oikawa Tooru, Kageyama Tobio's sports agent... yes, actually... he wanted to cancel the commercial... no, he wants to shoot it but he managed to get a fever and asked to rest for two days... yes, thank you for understanding."

Once that was over, Oikawa hung up and pushed his phone inside his pocket. He glared at Kageyama and scoffed at him. "You're welcome," Oikawa blurted out before Kageyama could say anything. Then out of the blue, Kageyama did something unusual which halted Oikawa on his spot. He smiled.

As Kageyama walked away, the brunette felt himself question everything he knew about the black-haired male. Oikawa knew his name, his age, where he went to school in middle school and high school, how much Kageyama earned in a year, and other things that he had to know because he was Kageyama's sports agent yet no matter how much he thought he knew the younger male was, he couldn't figure it out.

Why did Kageyama smile at Oikawa?

Oikawa puffed his chest out and shook his head in confusion. "That idiot... did I ever ask him to smile at me? I didn't so why did he do that? What a huge pain in the ass," Oikawa mumbled under his breath as he went ahead to trail behind the younger male. Mindlessly, Oikawa kept walking while starting to smile himself. Once the brunette realized this, he grunted and slapped his lips.

 _"Damn it! No smiling just because Tobio-chan smiled at me!"_ he told himself internally as he slapped his mouth thrice. He then stopped and lowered his hand. He sighed once again and bit his lower lip. What a troublesome situation, he thought as a small smile escaped his lips.

* * *

Sugawara yawned and stretched his arms. After hours of typing on his keyboard and clicking on his mouse, Sugawara had finally finished what his superior asked him to finish. He stood up and exited his room and saw that no one was in the house. He went outside and started heading towards the share house where Hinata and the others lived but unsurprisingly, no one was inside. That was to be expected since it was just 1'o clock in the afternoon. Most of the time, Oikawa and Kageyama would be at home fixing their schedule but Sugawara was told that the two would be busy because of Kageyama's upcoming match.

"Must be great for Kageyama," Sugawara mused out loud before going back in the house his brother-in-law owned. It was actually just a house behind the share house that would fit a small family of three. Since Sugawara was alone, he often slept over at the share house so he wouldn't feel lonely. Miho also slept over at the share house as well since her favorite teacher was there and her playmate who liked dinosaurs too, Tsukishima, was also there.

Sugawara closed the door behind him and went to his room. He decided to go out and roam around and perhaps visit Tsukishima at the university he went to since he had nothing to do for the rest of the afternoon. After getting dressed in something more presentable, Sugawara headed out with his phone and full wallet. He headed to a certain blond male's university but stopped when he saw a cafe near the university. Sugawara observed the place and since he had nothing to do, why not wait for the blond inside?

Entering the place, Sugawara went straight towards the counter and ordered a coffee. Once he got his order, Sugawara saw an empty seat beside the window and sat down. He leaned on his seat comfortably and scanned the place. It was clean and appeared stylish without looking too fashionable. He liked it but not until he saw a familiar face.

"Oh crap," Sugawara cussed under his breath when he witnessed a classmate of his from college. Sugawara looked away and pulled his hood over his head. He looked outside the window pane and recalled the rejection he'd received from the first man he loved. It was a hard time for the gray-haired male since he was confused but now, time had changed and he was more than sure that he was as straight as a broken ruler. Yes, he's far from being straight.

 _"He's with his girlfriend... I have to leave. Now,"_ Sugawara thought anxiously. Sugawara stood up and turned around sneakily before walking away but when he did, he ended up bumping to someone. Sugawara raised his head and saw Tsukishima.

"Eh? Sugawara-san?" Tsukishima ended up blurting out because of shock. This caused Sugawara's first love to turn around and look at Sugawara.

"Oh? Koushi?" he called out.

Sugawara stared at Tsukishima soullessly before turning around to face the man who called out to him.

"Ah! Yuta-san! I didn't see you there!" Sugawara forced a grin while pulling his hood down. Yuta smiled kindly and glanced at Tsukishima. He blinked and pointed at the blond before looking back at Sugawara.

"Is he your... you know, partner?" Yuta cautiously asked to avoid other people from getting suspicious so Sugawara wouldn't get stared at rudely. Sugawara gulped and looked behind him, only to see Tsukishima turning around. Sugawara grabbed the blond man's wrist and pulled him to his side.

"Yeah! That's right!" Out of nervousness, Sugawara lied.

Tsukishima clicked his tongue as he got dragged into this cliché pretend-to-be-lovers scheme. He glanced briefly at the older male to his right and stared at the man called Yuta.

"Whoa... that's great! You're doing good, right?" Yuta grilled.

"I'm fine! I have a nice job!" Sugawara replied with a grin.

"Cool! We'll have a class reunion soon so you better show up!" Yuta said.

"Yeah, I will," Sugawara gazed shortly at Tsukishima, "We'll be going then, we have a date to go to. See you soon!" he waved bye at the male and turned around with Tsukishima doing the exact same thing. Once they turned around, Sugawara and Tsukishima had frowns on their faces. They looked ahead of them and to Tsukishima's surprise, his older brother was there.

"Kei... you're going on a date... with a man?" Akiteru, Tsukishima's older brother, muttered out of stun.

* * *

Sugawara gulped and looked up at the man beside him. Tsukishima looked like his life had just ended. It was a shock to say the least for Sugawara. What should he do now?

Sugawara sat in front of Tsukishima's older brother.

"Ahem... you're Kei's former upperclassman right?" Akiteru interrogated.

Sugawara sent Akiteru a strained smile before nodding.

"Then... you've known each other for a long time... If Kei dated Tadashi then I wouldn't be surprised but since Tadashi is dating that blonde girl, that means Kei must have been dating you for a long time, probably since high school?" Akiteru jumped to the conclusion so fast that Sugawara could hardly keep up. He sent a threatening smile toward the other males and Sugawara felt so anxious that he just nodded in agreement.

Tsukishima grunted lowly and pinched the bridge of his nose. He glared at his older brother. "I'm not dating—"

"Shhh! It's alright Kei!" Akiteru interrupted his younger brother by placing a palm in front of his younger brother's face.

"I support you," Akiteru spoke with firmness. "It's the 21st century and I know that homosexuality is frowned upon in Japan but for me, whatever makes you happy and feel loved, I'll accept it wholeheartedly." As Akiteru spoke with courage Tsukishima clenched his fist. His brother wouldn't listen to him, especially if he looked so passionate about his speech.

"Nii—"

"I'll go to the bathroom for now. You two talk to each other for a while, okay?" Akiteru smiled gently before leaving his seat and heading towards the comfort room. Once he was gone, Tsukishima immediately glared at Sugawara.

"Tsukishima, calm down. I didn't mean it," Sugawara laughed nervously.

"Do something about this. Plan something. I can't convince him to listen to me now that he looks so passionate about supporting me," Tsukishima uttered with a cold voice.

"Okay, how about this? We'll act like we're going to break up in front of him. How does that sound?" Sugawara suggested. Tsukishima thought about it for a while.

"What will we fight about?" the bespectacled male questioned.

"Oh? Well... uhm... I finally realized that I like woman." Sugawara said with uncertainty.

"Hmm... how about I realize that I don't like you after all? Then I dump you afterwards."

"No way. I don't wanna get dumped in public."

"It's just an act."

"Even so, I don't like it. People might upload it online."

Tsukishima groaned then heaved a sigh. He nodded at Sugawara's suggestion and waited for Akiteru. Once he returned, Sugawara took a deep breath and faced the older male with determination to hide the fact that he was nervous as hell.

"So, where were we?" Akiteru asked with a soft smile.

"Ahh... Akiteru-san, your brother is a nice man and all but, I might've realized that I don—"

"Ahem!" Akiteru coughed before smiling threateningly. "Since you're with my brother, I hope you don't break up with him since that would reaaalllly put Kei in pain."

Sugawara swallowed hard. He wanted to piss his pants. _"I can't break up with Tsukishima here! This dude will kill me!"_ Sugawara thought with fear.

Tsukishima suddenly stood up so Sugawara grabbed his wrist for the second time. "Tsukki, where are you going? Are you going to leave me behind?" he grilled darkly. Tsukishima looked down at the older male and pushed his glasses upwards before smiling with a hint of mockery.

"I'm going to the bathroom," he blurted out before flicking Sugawara's hand away and leaving the gray-haired male behind with his older brother.

Sugawara stood up as well and said, "I'm going too!" Just as he was about to leave, Sugawara felt someone grab his wrist. He turned around with uneasiness and saw Akiteru smiling menacingly.

"You can't go to the bathroom at the same time. Not with my brother," Akiteru informed him grimly.

 _"Argh! Damn it! I made a mistake and I need someone to back me up! I can't deal with this guy by myself!"_ Sugawara mused internally as he sat back down with an uncomfortable smile. An awkward silence surrounded the area. All of a sudden, Sugawara felt his phone vibrate so when he checked it, he found a message from his older sister asking him where he was. Sugawara typed his location and asked her to save him.

Sugawara had two sisters and one of them was Miho's mother, who died after she gave birth to Miho. The other sister was Fuyumi who still had her heart scarred because of a man. Sugawara had to suffer through his older sister's one month of crying and getting drunk and while he knew that his sister was still in pain even when her relationship with her beloved lover ended five months ago. And Sugawara really needed help right now so his tough sister who only cried because of her ex-boyfriend was the only one who could do that.

Tsukishima returned and instead of sitting beside Sugawara, he sat beside his older brother, which confused Akiteru but he pushed it off since it was safer that way. Sugawara watched the two brothers communicate. He felt the need to pray for his sister to arrive early or else he'd really cry in public. Five minutes in and his sister still hadn't arrived. Sugawara was really tempted to cry for help.

"Koushi! There you are!"

Sugawara heard his older sister's voice. He beamed in relief and motioned her to come close so Fuyumi, who finally seemed fine after her lover broke up with her, loomed near her brother. As she walked closer, she caught a glimpse of a familiar man. Once she was beside her younger brother, she observed the men her brother was with and halted dead in her tracks.

"Fuyumi?" Akiteru uttered.

"Aki?" Fuyumi retorted.

Sugawara and Tsukishima watched as their own siblings called each other's names like they were old friends.

Fuyumi gasped and covered her mouth before stepping back while Akiteru stood up. Fuyumi glanced at her younger brother and teared up.

"Koushi, what's the meaning of this? Why are you with _him_?" queried Fuyumi as she wiped a tear that escaped her eye.

"Wh-why? Do you two know each other?" Sugawara questioned worriedly as he approached his sister.

"So that's why your surname sounded familiar. You were Fuyumi's brother," Akiteru murmured as he stared at Fuyumi and Sugawara. Tsukishima shook his head and looked at Sugawara, the male one.

"Sugawara-san, my brother dated your sister five months ago," Tsukishima informed. "They broke up."

Hearing this, Sugawara felt his heart stop. He slowly gazed at Akiteru and recalled all the times that his older sister cried and got drunk while dragging Sugawara around Tokyo just so she could drink her brokenhearted feelings away. He remembered how his older sister whined about the pain she felt and how ready she was to marry the man she loved and had been dating for almost two years. Recollecting these memories, Sugawara clenched his fists and faced Akiteru.

"Oi... you warned me not to hurt your brother... when you're the one who made my sister cry for a month!" Sugawara exclaimed. He launched himself forward and placed his right knee on top of the table before grabbing Akiteru's collar.

"Ugh! Sorry but I have a good explanation for that! I really have a good one!" Akiteru shouted. "Kei, help!"

Tsukishima ignored his older brother and stepped beside Fuyumi. He glanced at her and saw her crying. Tsukishima sighed again and realized how wrong his brother was. Why did he even make that stupid decision of breaking up with a woman he bought a ring for?

"Shut up! I can pull your vocal chords out of your mouth if I wanted to!" Sugawara threatened as he shook Akiteru angrily.

As Sugawara and Akiteru pushed and pulled at each other, Tsukishima handed a tissue to Fuyumi, who accepted it with a thank you. There was a crowd surrounding them and Tsukishima covered his face in shame. What was wrong with his brother and upperclassman? Why did he have to experience lots of shameful things when all he wanted was a peaceful way of living? It wasn't like Tsukishima did something wrong, so why? Tsukishima didn't deserve this much humiliation.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **OiKage & a rare pairing appeared! No Hinata for today since I decided to put focus in the other characters :)) It seems that Oikawa and Kageyama is developing into something more, isn't it? And Suga and Tsukki, like a cliché plot, is thought to be dating and although I think it's cliché, I have a reason on making them like that so just read and you'll find out what I'm talking about ;)**


	8. Men Who Plays With Kids

Sugawara and Tsukishima were walking home quietly when all of a sudden, Tsukishima halted and looked down at his shoes. Sugawara looked at the bespectacled male and narrowed his eyes when he found his shoulders shaking.

"Tsukishima, are you…laughing?" Sugawara asked incredulously.

Tsukishima raised his head and showed that he was indeed snickering. He covered his mouth and shook his head in amusement. "You punched my brother," Tsukishima blurted between laughs.

Sugawara huffed and crossed his arms. "He deserved it."

"I know," Tsukishima replied before walking again.

Sugawara trailed behind the taller male and kept walking with a satisfied face. He punched the man who put his sister in pain. That was good enough. He kept trotting with content as he closed his eyes and chuckled under his breath. He stepped forwards and ended up bumping into someone. Sugawara opened his eyes and glared at the person in front of him. It was Tsukishima, who was sniggering again.

"Oi, Tsukishima, keep walking or you'll get squared in the face as well," Sugawara warned before gently shoving the blond forward.

Tsukishima did walk forward but he was slow.

Because of the various events that Sugawara and Tsukishima were in, it was already almost 4 o'clock, meaning that Hinata and Miho were probably in the share house since the kindergarten usually ended at 2 in the afternoon but with Hinata as a teacher, Miho had to go home early so Hinata would most likely bring his work back home so he could send Miho home at 3 o'clock in the afternoon and rest before continuing his work at home then rest again and afterwards, go to the bar for his other work.

Sugawara sighed at how strenuous Hinata's day was. Since when did that short orange-haired ball of sunshine become such an overworked individual? Sugawara felt concerned. He really had to do something to give Hinata a rest.

Finally, Tsukishima and Sugawara arrived home and when they entered the share house, they were greeted by someone crying. Tsukishima narrowed his eyes when he recognized the cries. It was Miho. The blond knew because the kid often cried at Tsukishima's pranks. The two men rushed to the living room and saw Hinata putting a Band-Aid on Miho's knees.

Sugawara clicked his tongue repeatedly and observed the people at the living room. Oikawa was there and he looked serious. Kageyama was there as well and Sugawara didn't like the look on the black-haired male's face. Even Hinata seemed furious.

"What happened, brat?" Tsukishima asked Miho. Once she heard the blond male's voice, she turned around and cried even more.

"Wahh! Tsukizumi Kenichii! A middle-school pushed Miho!" she cried.

"A what? A building pushed you?" Tsukishima questioned.

"No! An older boy did!"

"Ahh... and? Why are you crying?"

Sugawara groaned when he heard Tsukishima ask that. Wasn't it obvious? Sugawara stared at Miho and went towards her before picking her up. "Hmm, someone pushed you? Who was it? Tell Kou-kun." Sugawara spoke sweetly.

Oikawa and Kageyama, who were both facing Sugawara realized how different Sugawara's voice and appearance were. The gray-haired male might sound caring but currently, he looked deadly. Oikawa and Kageyama looked away and nodded. That was good. Sugawara should get angry that someone messed with Miho.

"Dunno." Miho hiccupped as she hugged the older male. "They pushed Miho off the slide."

Sugawara glanced at Hinata, who looked at him darkly. "Hinata, did you look after Miho?" Sugawara questioned.

"I did. I thought they would play fair but... they didn't," Hinata answered.

Tsukishima pushed his glasses up. "Where are they? Those kids?" he asked.

"Oh? Them? They're at the playground nearby. They were playing dodgeball."

With that said, Oikawa and Kageyama stood up. They marched outside looking for war while Tsukishima heaved another sigh before trailing behind the two. Sugawara handed Miho to Hinata before smiling at the shorter male.

"Take care of Miho. We'll be back soon." Sugawara spoke sweetly before exiting the house.

Hinata watched as the older male left him and Miho. He silently cheered for Sugawara as he pumped his fist in the air.

* * *

Oikawa, Kageyama, Tsukishima and Sugawara faced the middle-school kids. Kageyama rubbed his shoulder before walking forward.

"Oi, who amongst you had the guts to push a three-year old girl?" Kageyama grilled like a thug. The boys stopped and stared at Kageyama. They snorted and threw a ball at him. The ball they were using for dodgeball was a basketball and somehow, Oikawa didn't know why they would choose something heavy to throw to someone. They might injure themselves and others as well.

"Ha-ha! Get wrecked, dumbass!" shouted one of the kids.

Kageyama tried to catch the ball but it ended up hitting him in the face.

Oikawa and Tsukishima had to hold their chortles in when they witnessed that.

Sugawara sighed and grabbed the basketball that rolled on the ground. The ashen-haired man held it tightly before giving a deceiving grin. He rolled the basketball in his hands before planning something. Once he finished planning, Sugawara laughed loudly.

"Hey kids! Let's play a game!" Sugawara offered. He waited for a response and when the kids stared at him curiously, he smirked. "Let's play freeze tag."

"Ehh? That's childish!" the kids booed.

Oikawa observed the brats so he said, "Oh really? You don't want the prize then?"

This froze the middle-school students. Oikawa glanced at Sugawara and saw the male smiling slyly.

Tsukishima huffed before proposing, "How about this? Instead of having one person be the It, all of us adults would play as the It while all of you kids run from us."

The kids paused and thought about the idea. One kid, who looked like the leader, stepped up with folded arms.

"What's the prize?" he questioned.

Kageyama clicked his tongue before fishing for his wallet. He pulled it out and took out five ten thousand yen. Kageyama displayed it like a snobby rich kid and grinned darkly. Oikawa, on the other hand, gawked at how stupid Kageyama was.

The brunette knew that giving fifty thousand yen to brats was too much but since the four adults had already planned something, it wasn't like the brats would actually get the money. Oikawa and the others would defeat these kids and find out who amongst them pushed Miho off the slide. That action was dangerous and it could've seriously injured Miho or worse, put the girl in comatose.

"Oi, Taki! Look at the money! It's fifty thousand yen!" one kid shouted.

"Whoa! We'll win this!" yelled another kid.

"Come on, let's play!" the leader shouted.

The so-called adults grinned deceitfully before Oikawa, Kageyama, and Sugawara ran after the middle-school kids.

Tsukishima observed them and waited for the results. He walked towards the slide with a plastic bag in his hands. Inside the plastic was a bunch of paper, markers, and some tape. Tsukishima observed the slide and noticed a swing set beside it. He then decided to sit on one of the swings and pulled out the marker and paper. He smirked cunningly before writing something on it.

Sugawara chased after one kid but another kid pushed him so he ended up on the ground. Another kid then stomped on his back before running away while laughing loudly. Oikawa managed to freeze someone but the brunette felt someone poke him in the back, resulting in Oikawa shouting while holding his bottom. He caught the kid he froze being unfrozen by another kid and when he reached out to tag him again, Oikawa got shoved to the side.

Kageyama froze three kids. He stared at the other two middle-school students and waited for them to approach him. The three frozen kids were behind him so it was unlikely for any of the two to end up unfreezing the other three brats, unless they teamed up on Kageyama but the black-haired male wouldn't let that happen. His pride wouldn't let it happen.

The two unfrozen kids glared at Kageyama as they sprinted towards Kageyama at the same time. Kageyama stood his ground and was about to stop both of them at the same time then tag the two but unexpectedly, the two kids didn't rush towards their friends but towards Kageyama.

 _"What?! No way! They're heading towards me!"_ Kageyama thought intensely.

"You didn't expect this, didn't you?!" the two kids shouted as they launched themselves towards Kageyama.

"No! At this rate, Kageyama will get taken down!" Sugawara mused out loud as he gritted his teeth. Oikawa stood up to stop the two kids as he thought internally, _"If I don't stop them, Tobio-chan would fall down and if things go those brats' way, then one of them..."_

 _"One of them would stand up and unfreeze the three kids I froze while the other one holds me down!"_ Kageyama thought with anxiousness.

"Eat this, you adult jerk!" The two boys shouted as they pushed Kageyama down the ground. Once Kageyama was down, one of the kid stood up and headed for his three frozen friends while the other one held Kageyama.

"Oikawa! Save the game!" Sugawara yelled dramatically as Oikawa grabbed the kid that pinned Kageyama down. Once he was free, Kageyama immediately pushed himself up and reached for the kid who was meters away from his three friends. Kageyama rushed and shouted but as he did, he accidentally tripped on nothing.

Oikawa and Sugawara cried in despair as Kageyama helplessly watched the kid run to his friends.

"Damn it!" Kageyama cried out loud.

"This game... is our win!" The kid was about to tag one of his friend until he felt someone hold his shoulder.

"Freeze."

The place went quiet. Only the crows were heard. Sugawara, Kageyama, and Oikawa looked ahead and to their delight, Tsukishima had the kid held down.

"Tsukishima!" the three adults screamed as they stood up and ran towards the blond male as if they had just won the championship. Sugawara roughly patted Tsukishima's back while Oikawa got his arms around the blond male while jumping happily. Kageyama gawked at Tsukishima and had his mouth ajar.

"Aye! Aye! Aye!" Oikawa and Sugawara cheered as they jumped in happiness. Kageyama struggled to say a compliment while Tsukishima pushed his glasses up. Like he'd shout in delight like them.

"Hah! You forgot to freeze me!"

The four adults froze when they heard that. They caught a glimpse of the kid, who looked like the leader, running towards his frozen friends.

" _No!_ " The four male shouted internally as they vulnerably watched as the boy ran to his friends.

"I'll get it!" the boy cried and just as he was about to tag one of his friend, a voice called out to him.

"Taki-kun."

The two groups froze when they heard the voice. They looked ahead and all of them found one person.

Hinata was standing in front of them with Miho beside him.

Taki, the leader of the kids, backed away while the other frozen kids went close to Taki. Sugawara observed Hinata and saw that the ginger male seemed serious. It's been a while since he had seen that but it was still terrifying to see. It was as if a monster was in front of him.

"Taki, what did I say? No messing around with adults." Hinata reminded as he approached Taki.

"Eh?! We're not messin' with 'em! They were the one messin' with us!" Taki retorted. Hinata ignored the kid and eyed the four adults.

"What are you doing? Are you messing with someone younger than you?" Hinata asked, trying hard not to laugh at the situation. He had matured and it was amazing how the people he thought wouldn't do anything immature seemed to be the one doing something childish. Hinata realized that time had changed everything he knew about.

"Hinata... you know them?" Sugawara asked. Hinata nodded and pointed at the kid who looked like the leader.

"This is Taki. This kid with the purple hair is Akagi, and this kid with black hair is Shirota. The redhead is Saito. The tallest one is Aru, and the smallest one is Kazuma," Hinata introduced the middle-school kids to the others.

"Boss, you know 'em?" The red-haired kid named Saito asked.

"Yeah, I live with them." Hinata replied while grinning.

Seeing that the boss was smiling, the kids stood in awe.

"Is boss not angry anymore?" The tallest one, Aru, asked.

"I'm not! I'm just disappointed." Hinata spoke and hearing the word "disappointed", the kids froze and started to rethink their actions.

The four males observed Hinata deal with the kids. They didn't know why Hinata was called boss but they wanted to know. So Oikawa cleared his throat and asked, "Why are they calling you boss, Shou-chan?"

Hinata blinked and scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "I kinda defeated all of them in dodgeball last month... all by myself."

The four men didn't move. They eyed Hinata and nodded. Of course, that would be expected. Hinata, although small in stature, had high stats when it came to physical activities. That wasn't a surprise but still, it shocked them. "What the heck Hinata," all of them thought.

"I came here because I was worried that you might be cruel to them. I forgot to tell you that I already scolded them earlier and had them apologize to Miho. They even gave Miho some candy as an apology!" Hinata informed with a sunny grin.

The four men sighed as they took note of their efforts. All of it, their blood, sweat and tears, it was all for nothing. They had wasted their energy and gotten dirty. Great job to all of them.

"That's great, Hinata. Good job," Sugawara said emotionlessly as he headed to the swing for a rest.

Oikawa did the same and plopped down beside the swing next to Sugawara.

Kageyama was about to sit on the third and last swing but Tsukishima got there first before him. Kageyama cursed under his breath and simply sat on the slide. He leaned on it and felt the warm metal behind him. The four men were beyond exhausted. They had planned everything and they thought that once they made the kids lose to them, they would make them all carry a huge piece of paper that said "I'm a bad kid" while walking home.

Hinata saw the tiredness of his friends so he approached them with Miho in hand, and stared at them with energy.

"Stand up! I'll cook meat!" Hinata shouted. "I'll cook for all of you!" he added.

"Even us?!" asked the kids.

"Yeah! I'll cook for you too!" Hinata replied enthusiastically.

The four men stared at Hinata before standing up.

"Cook meat because if you don't, you'll clean the house for one week all by yourself." Sugawara said before walking home. He stretched his arms and yawned.

"I'll cook meat! Come on, kids!" Hinata invited.

"What?! Why should they eat as well?! Shou-chan, don't invite them!" Oikawa whined.

"Oikawa-san, you're annoying." Kageyama spoke nonchalantly as he yawned as well. Oikawa growled at him but the black-haired male ignored him. The brunette scoffed at Kageyama but walked behind him.

"You wanted to avenge Miho, right Mashikitsu Junichiro?" Miho asked Tsukishima.

"I don't know where you got that name but are you even trying to say my name or are you just muttering random ones?" Tsukishima said as he walked ahead of the young girl.

Miho laughed childishly before running towards the blond male. "It's alright, Yoshimitsu Sato! Miho likes you so the name doesn't matter!" Miho replied while beaming.

Tsukishima ignored the kid's statement but smiled in amusement when he heard the name that Miho randomly generated. At this point, Tsukishima didn't care anymore if the girl got his name right. He'd just enjoy the names she was saying out of nowhere.

Meanwhile, Hinata calmed the middle-school kids down as he directed them toward the share house. He shushed them down as he sighed in exhaustion. He had to rest yet after managing kids all day. He then looked in front of him and saw with no surprise that Kageyama and Oikawa were fighting again. Hinata groaned as he looked at the orange sky.

When it was 5 o'clock, Iwaizumi finally arrived home and to his surprise, there were a bunch of kids inside the house. Iwaizumi headed to the kitchen and stared at the ginger.

"Hinata... what did you bring back here?" Iwaizumi asked straightaway.

"Oh? That? They're a bunch of middle-school kids!" Hinata replied cheerily.

"I know. But what are they doing here?" Iwaizumi said.

"I invited them to eat with us!"

"Oh! Iwa-chan's here!" Oikawa shouted and when Iwaizumi looked at the living room, he saw Oikawa, Sugawara, Tsukishima and Kageyama. He narrowed his eyes at them.

"What the hell happened to the four of you?" Iwaizumi questioned.

The four men stared at each other before Oikawa dramatically said, "A battle has occurred."

Iwaizumi grabbed a broom and hit his childhood friend with it.

"Battle, my ass! Go bathe! The four of you stink!" Iwaizumi scolded as he tried to hit the four with the broom.

Unfortunately, they escaped and went to their respective rooms.

* * *

The morning after the huge battle, all of the housemates woke up except for one.

Sugawara fixed the couch since he'd slept there while Oikawa, Iwaizumi, Kageyama, and Tsukishima fixed their beds and blankets. The five of them went to the kitchen and while Hinata was usually the one who would wake up first, the five males were surprised that the orange-haired male wasn't there to greet them first thing in the morning. They waited five minutes for him but when Hinata didn't wake come out of his room, they got worried.

"I'll wake him up." Sugawara stood up and was heading to Hinata's room when suddenly, Hinata came out with extremely messy hair.

"Ahh... I woke up late." Hinata spoke groggily before heading to the kitchen. "Sorry, I didn't wake up early," he said with a hoarse voice.

The five men eyed Hinata with worry.

"Shou-chan, are you sick?" Oikawa queried.

"Huh? I don't get sick." Hinata answered.

"True. Idiots don't get sick." Tsukishima quipped earning him a dark glare from Hinata. Tsukishima backed away when he saw the shorter male glare at him. Somehow, Hinata's glare today was even scarier.

"Shut up, Tsuki—" Before Hinata could finish his sentence, he coughed loudly. The five males stared at him apprehensively.

"Dumbass, you're sick," Kageyama said.

"No, I'm not," Hinata denied.

"Hinata, you're sick, don't deny it." Sugawara teamed up with Kageyama.

"I'm not, Sugawara-san." Hinata sulked when he noticed that he was being teamed up on.

"Shou-chan, look how red you are!"

"Oikawa-san, I'm not sick! It takes a lot for me to get sick!"

"Damn it, Hinata! You're damn sick!"

"Iwaizumi-san, I'm not!"

The five males grunted when Hinata kept on insisting that he wasn't sick. Iwaizumi stood up and went to his room. After a while, he came back with a thermometer in his possession. Iwaizumi then handed the thermometer to Hinata, who gazed at the device suspiciously.

"It won't kill you to check your temperature." Iwaizumi blurted out.

Hinata thoughtlessly pouted as he looked away.

Iwaizumi pushed the thermometer in his hands but Hinata pushed it back. When Iwaizumi kept pushing, Hinata glared at the male and opened his mouth to say a piece of his mind but stopped and looked down. This made the others stare at Hinata hesitantly.

Hinata then sneezed at the older male's face.

Iwaizumi stood in front of Hinata with a blank look. Yanking Hinata's hands, Iwaizumi placed the thermometer on his palm and said, "Hinata... you're fucking sick."

The kitchen went silent after that.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Is this a filler? Probably... probably not. Aside from the fact that this was definitely focused on humor, Hinata is sick and next chapter, it will be a HUGE development. Believe me when I say development cause it's true! I think I did good with it ;)**

 **But since this is a filler-like chapter, there isn't much development here but I do hope that you enjoyed it~~**


	9. Let's Pretend

"Who'll take care of Miho? Oikawa-san and Kageyama have to go somewhere, Tsukishima needs to study, Iwaizumi-san has work, and Sugawara has work as well."

The five men stared at Hinata tiredly.

"Just rest, Shou-chan. Leave it to us," Oikawa assured. He looked at Sugawara.

"Suga, do your best," Oikawa cheered on before grabbing the bag full of necessities needed for his work. He turned to Kageyama and motioned him to leave fast before the responsibility of taking care of Miho would get passed to them.

Sugawara gasped and faced Oikawa but he was gone. Sugawara clicked his tongue and glanced at Tsukishima.

The blond male pushed his glasses up with his middle finger before leaving him alone.

Sugawara then turned to Iwaizumi.

"Good luck," Iwaizumi said before leaving him behind.

Now, only Sugawara and Hinata were left.

Miho stopped playing with her dinosaurs and went to Hinata's side. "Miho won't go to school if you're not there." She spoke in her usual manner of speaking but with more worry.

"Go to school. Your dad will be sad," Hinata insisted as he covered his mouth to avoid infecting Miho. The young girl noticed this so she backed away and covered her mouth as well.

"Miho, let's go?" Sugawara asked so Miho furrowed her eyebrows and pursed her lips. She held Sugawara's hand and sent one last glance and wave at Hinata before exiting the house.

Once everyone was gone, Hinata dragged himself to his room and laid down on his bed. He groaned as he felt his body ache. Did he overwork himself? That couldn't be allowed. Hinata had to earn as much money as possible. After all, his mother's condition was only worsening so Hinata needed to earn the money for the surgery and fast.

"Argh... I can't be sick. Not now." Hinata spoke huskily before closing his eyes to rest.

Hours passed and when Hinata finally opened his eyes, he could hear voices from the living room. He pushed himself up and placed a hand on his forehead. It didn't feel hot anymore so maybe he was fine. He then stood up and looked outside but to his surprise, it was dark. Hinata blinked before grabbing his phone from under his pillow. He checked the time and saw that it was 5:48 in the evening. He rushed to the bathroom to wash himself, much to the others' surprise, and afterwards, went back to his room to change clothes. Once he got changed, Hinata came out of his room with his phone and wallet.

"I'm going out for work!" Hinata yelled. He was exiting the share house when Sugawara held him back by his hood.

"Hinata, where are you going? Aren't you supposed to rest?" Sugawara questioned.

"Yeah! But I'm fine now!" Hinata turned around and grabbed Sugawara's right hand before placing it on his forehead.

"See? I'm not sick anymore! See you then!" Hinata rushed out and didn't bother hearing a reply from Sugawara.

"That... ugh! He's overworking himself!" Sugawara thought out loud as he walked to the living room with an aggravated expression. He sprawled himself on the couch and grabbed the controller as he pressed the buttons with too much strength.

"Oi, Suga! You're breaking the controller!" Oikawa reprimanded as he drove past Sugawara. This time, they were playing another racing game instead of Mario Kart. Sugawara scoffed as he focused his irritation on the game. He hoped that Hinata wouldn't get sick at his job.

Oikawa, Sugawara, and Kageyama kept playing with Miho and Tsukishima commenting on the game from time to time. They kept their eyes on the television not realizing that it was now 10'o clock.

Iwaizumi then arrived home and found his five housemates on the living room. He sighed tiredly and went to the kitchen for a glass of water then after that, he headed to his room to change but as he walked inside, he caught a glimpse of Hinata's room and found it empty. Iwaizumi walked back and observed the surprisingly clean but vacant room.

"Oi, where's Hinata?" Iwaizumi asked loudly so the others would hear him.

"Miho knows!" the girl shouted as she went to Iwaizumi with a grin. The male smiled at her softly and kneeled down to pat her head. "Shou-kun went to his work!"

This shocked Iwaizumi so he pushed himself up and thanked Miho before going to the living room. "You allowed Hinata to go to work? Isn't he sick?" he queried.

"That dumbass went even when Sugawara-san tried to stop him," Kageyama explained.

"Then you could've dragged him to his bed," Iwaizumi suggested before groaning.

Oikawa shifted his attention from the television to his childhood friend. He raised an eyebrow and waited for his friend to speak.

"I'll bring him home," Iwaizumi said before exiting the house.

Oikawa stood up earning him the attention of his housemates. He smirked and winked at them before he said, "I'm going to ask Iwa-chan something. Don't miss me too much."

Kageyama grabbed a pillow and chucked it at the brunette.

Oikawa caught the pillow and hurled it back at Kageyama's face and before the younger male could say or do anything, Oikawa ran away. He closed the door behind him and went out of the entry way. When he caught Iwaizumi meters away from the share house, he loudly called out to his friend. Iwaizumi stopped and turned around, causing Oikawa to grin slyly as he loomed closer to him.

Once he was a meter away, Oikawa smirked. "Iwa-chan... you look awfully worried about Shou-chan," Oikawa mused.

"Wha – Of course I am! He's sick!" Iwaizumi retaliated.

"Oh really? I'm worried about Shou-chan as well but you don't see me going after him," Oikawa countered.

Iwaizumi glared at his friend. "Hinata's sick. Are you telling me to just leave him be?"

"Yeah...unless you like him."

Iwaizumi froze when he heard Oikawa's statement. He took a long deep breath before heaving an equally long sigh. He stared at Oikawa seriously before saying, "I'm interested in him but that's all. I don't like him that way."

Oikawa blinked and didn't say anything for a few seconds. He then heaved a sigh. "Okay... I get it. Go after Shou-chan, I'm worried about him as well," he said with a smile on his face.

"Oikawa, don't think I can't see behind that smile. You're planning something, aren't you?" Iwaizumi spoke with a smirk. Oikawa huffed in amusement before crossing his arms.

"I'm just saying, Iwa-chan," he said venomously, "you know what happens when we both like the same person."

Iwaizumi failed to say something back.

Oikawa had gotten the last word so he smirked at his childhood friend and turned around before walking back inside.

Iwaizumi closed his fists and bit his lower lip before heading to where Hinata was. He had to forget about what Oikawa said and focus on getting the orange-haired male back.

* * *

"What happened to him?" Iwaizumi asked when he saw Hinata with his head lowered.

The female beside Hinata smiled apologetically before explaining the situation. She said that Hinata became sick while working so she made him rest. The lady, who was actually the owner of the bar and a coworker of Hinata's at the school, made Iwaizumi send the male back home.

Once Iwaizumi got the younger male, he walked him home. Unlike the usual comfortable silence that sometimes occurred between them, tonight was incredibly awkward. Iwaizumi didn't know why but he didn't particularly want to know.

"Iwaizumi-san, I'm going back to the bar. I have to work," Hinata blurted out.

"You aren't. You have to rest." Iwaizumi denied.

"But—"

"Listen, the others are worried about you. I don't wanna take care of you as well since I have other things to do and I'm too stressed to be worrying about others all the time so don't be stubborn and just go home and rest."

Hinata closed his mouth and gulped nervously. He looked ahead of him and sniffed. When Iwaizumi heard this, he felt the need to look at the younger male but stopped himself. He recalled what Oikawa asked him. Remembering it, Iwaizumi clicked his tongue and glared at the streets. He didn't like the younger male. He was just interested, that was all and nothing more.

Then another sniff was heard. Iwaizumi groaned and glanced briefly at the man beside him but he stopped scowling when he saw Hinata tearing up.

"I... ugh... I wanna work." Hinata sobbed silently.

Iwaizumi's eyebrows knitted together when he heard that.

"You're crying because of that?" Iwaizumi asked. "Work is good and all but you have to put your health first."

"I can't!" Hinata responded as he cried. "My mom's life is on the line!"

Iwaizumi didn't say anything back. He observed Hinata cry and since he didn't know what to do, Iwaizumi gently tugged on the younger male and awkwardly patted his back. He looked away from the shorter male and kept silent as Hinata wept while biting on his lips to prevent causing a noise. The two stayed that way until Iwaizumi felt Hinata's weight on him. The older male stared at him and realized that he must've fainted. Sighing to himself, he hoisted Hinata into his arms and carried him gently like a sack of rice.

The two men successfully got home and this time, only Oikawa was awake. He waited in the living room when he saw his friend come in carrying Hinata on his shoulders. Oikawa raised an eyebrow before approaching the two.

"What the heck? Why are you carrying him like that?" Oikawa queried.

"He fainted on me," Iwaizumi answered shortly.

"Hmm, is that so? You must be happy," The brunette said.

"Cut it out, Oikawa. If you like this brat on my shoulders then go ahead and hit on him. I don't like him like that so I don't care," Iwaizumi snapped back before pushing Hinata's door open with his foot and entering the room to place the shorter male on his bed.

Oikawa gaped at what his childhood friend had said. His mouth then curved into a smirk before it turned into a joyful grin.

"Okay then. Tomorrow, I'll go straightforward with Shou-chan and ask him out. Wish me luck, Iwa-chan," Oikawa declared before going to his room and locking the door.

Iwaizumi scoffed and stared at the male on the bed. He observed him for a while and after that, Iwaizumi slapped his own forehead.

"Like hell, I'll wish him luck," he admitted under his breath. He eyed Hinata and somehow he ended up saying to him, "You better reject that trash. I don't know if he's serious about you but he doesn't look like that to me so if you don't wanna get hurt... pick someone else. Someone... more reliable and mature."

With that said, Iwaizumi hit his forehead for the second time and turned around. He then left with an irritated expression. Who cares, right? Iwaizumi didn't care. Oikawa could flirt with Hinata and Iwaizumi wouldn't even bat an eye! Besides, Iwaizumi was too stressed to be wanting a relationship.

* * *

"Shou-chan, I realized that you're actually cute!"

"Eh? I'm a man, I'm not cute!"

"Then you're adorable."

"Oh... ok—wait, no! You just said cute but in another way!"

Iwaizumi sure didn't bat an eye but he was sure as hell irritated. He munched on his food angrily while ignoring the two people in front of him. God, Iwaizumi was eating. Couldn't they do this somewhere else? Not in front of his sunny-side up eggs would be a good start. Those two were disgusting.

"Oi, are you two flirting in front of food?" Kageyama asked with annoyance.

"What? Of course not, Tobio-chan!" Oikawa denied with a grin.

"Then shut up," Kageyama snapped back.

Iwaizumi bit his lower to lip to prevent himself from laughing but someone was already chortling loudly. It was Sugawara and Tsukishima.

"Oikawa! Do you want some ice for that burn?" Sugawara asked as he stifled a laugh.

"He'll just melt the ice," Tsukishima quipped as he stopped his laugh by drinking water.

Sugawara further laughed at this before choking on his food.

This time, it was Oikawa's turn to laugh. "Karma just served you!" Oikawa retorted.

"But not as much as Kageyama served you," Tsukishima jibed for Sugawara, who asked for a clap back which Tsukishima gave with satisfaction.

Iwaizumi snorted and drank his glass of water.

Oikawa glared at Iwaizumi and saw the amused look of his friend. Oikawa smirked causing Iwaizumi to feel irritated. How could he smirk when he was getting roasted? Iwaizumi couldn't grasp it and it pissed him off even further.

Slamming the glass of water, Iwaizumi licked his lips and gleamed at his friend.

"Iwaizumi-san, do you need more water?" Hinata kindly asked.

"Like hell, I need it!" Iwaizumi shouted in response, making Hinata flinch. "Give it to Oikawa, it seems like he's thirsty but it's not for water." He then pushed himself up and fixed his tie with annoyance.

"Iwa-chan looks thirsty as well. Do something, Shou-chan," Oikawa retaliated.

"Tsk!" Iwaizumi clicked his tongue before leaving. Once he left, Sugawara stared at Oikawa.

"What was that about? Are you and Iwaizumi fighting? Like an old married couple?" Sugawara questioned.

Oikawa smirked and leaned on his seat. He thought about it for a while and received a sudden idea. He glanced at Hinata and rested his chin on his palm. "Think of this as our divorce since Iwa-chan got a new lover," Oikawa mused out loud. "Actually, Shou-chan... how did it feel being carried like a bride last night?"

Hinata, who was drinking, choked on his water and pounded on his chest as if it would do anything.

Oikawa smirked in amusement before scanning the other's expression. They seemed serious. What was up with that?

"I wasn't carried like that, am I?" Hinata asked frantically.

"Maaaayybe?" Oikawa teased.

"Argh! So that's why Iwaizumi-san's angry with me again!" Hinata hit his head and Oikawa almost felt bad. Almost. If only he wasn't enjoying it.

Meanwhile, Kageyama got his focus on the brunette. He bit the inside of his cheeks and leaned on his seat. Kageyama would get to the bottom of this. He just had to ask at the right time.

On the other hand, Iwaizumi went to work, still frustrated. He kept working and consulting others and he ultimately forgot about his problem. He kept his eyes on lots of paperwork and did his hourly check on the office. And amidst the busyness, Iwaizumi heard someone call out to him. It was his boss and apparently, he was allowing Iwaizumi to go home early. Now this would've made him happy but Iwaizumi wanted to avoid the place as much as possible. Yet there he was, walking home at three in the afternoon.

As he headed home, he heard someone call out to him so he looked around and surprisingly, he found a girl with orange hair coming up behind him. Narrowing his eyes, the girl looked familiar.

"Iwaizumi-san!"

This caused the male to flinch in shock. He backed away and bowed politely. "Uhh... do I know you?" he asked.

"Iwaizumi-san, it's me! Hinata Shouyo!" the "girl" said.

"What?! How did you – But you're a girl, I mean, a man! How could you—"

"I'm crossdressing," was the straight answer of Hinata.

Iwaizumi stopped asking and eyed Hinata with empty eyes. "What the," was all he could mutter. Iwaizumi then slapped his forehead and realized that every person had a weird hobby or two. He wasn't in any position to judge other people's hobbies so he stared at Hinata wearing female clothing and took a deep breath before placing his hand on her—his shoulders.

"It's alright. I won't judge you or tell the others. I'll be going home then." Iwaizumi then left but Hinata grabbed his wrist and made him look at him, shocking Iwaizumi.

"I don't like wearing female clothes."

Iwaizumi and Hinata kept quiet as they sent a blank look to each other. The older male gently pushed the younger male's hand away while Hinata stepped back.

"Why are you wearing that then?" Iwaizumi asked indifferently.

"The kids at the kindergarten splashed me with water! I needed to find a change of clothes and a friend who likes cosplaying had this extra clothing so she gave it to me!" Hinata explained with shame as he covered his red face. He couldn't possibly show himself to his housemates so he had to do something. He would not go home wearing female clothing. Knowing the others, he'd surely be laughed at. And Hinata wouldn't put his dignity in the line. So he faced Iwaizumi with a look of determination.

"You're going with me. You're going to help me buy groceries and male clothes," Hinata said with firmness.

"What? Do it on your own and leave me out of it." Iwaizumi replied as he backed away but Hinata suddenly raised a bag that looked like the ones mothers would buy at grocery stores to save the environment from plastic.

"Lezgo!" Hinata pumped his fist in the air before pulling the older man along. Iwaizumi furrowed his eyebrows as he attempted to pull himself back. Hinata noticed the resistance so he turned to him.

"We'll buy meat so help me, okay?" Hinata informed.

"I don't care! I just wanna go home!" Iwaizumi retorted but before he could do anything, Hinata started walking.

Iwaizumi followed him reluctantly.

The two men headed to the shopping street near their place. Various stalls were seen and almost anything that could be sold was there. Since Hinata needed to buy vegetables and spices that he'd used in the hotpot session with the others, he went to search for a stall with vegetables but he stopped when he saw something. There was a set of sashimi that was on discount.

"Whoa... it's not expensive," Hinata mumbled.

Iwaizumi glanced briefly at the shorter male beside him and wondered how long Hinata would keep wearing the female clothing if he didn't like the fact that he was wearing one.

"Are you gonna buy it?" Iwaizumi asked.

"Yeah! It's on discount so I'll buy one – no, two sets of it!" Hinata raised two fingers before he took two pack of sashimi. Before Hinata could get it, Iwaizumi flicked Hinata's hands away from the sashimi earning him a glare from the shorter man.

"Don't buy things that aren't needed," he reprimanded.

"But it's food," Hinata retaliated.

Iwaizumi folded his arms and stared at the younger male. Hinata kept his stance and appeared serious about taking the two set of sashimi. While they exchanged looks, Iwaizumi felt hesitant. It wasn't because of the food that Hinata would buy, it was because Iwaizumi couldn't take him seriously. Not when Hinata looked like a high school girl.

"Oh? What are you two doing?"

The two men stopped sending scrutinizing gazes at each other and looked at the old woman who was running the stall. They gave a polite bow and before Iwaizumi could mutter an apology for blocking the front of her stall, the old woman spoke.

"You two must be newlyweds! Here, have some sashimi! I'll give it to you in a lower price since you two seem to be arguing about it!" The old lady handed them two set of sashimi.

Iwaizumi blinked and shook his head. He opened his mouth to say something but once again, Hinata cut him off.

"Really?! Are you sure? We'll take it then!" Hinata eagerly said as he grabbed two sets of sashimi. He put it inside his bag and paid for it. Once they were finished, the two males went away and headed to another stall. On the other hand, Iwaizumi couldn't grasp how they looked like a couple. Certainly, they didn't look like that, right?

Wrong.

After the two finished buying vegetables and other foods from other stalls, Iwaizumi realized that he'd been getting compliments but not about him, it was about him and Hinata. As a newly married couple. They went to buy onions, garlic, soy sauce and other spices and what the two men received were praises from old women about how it must be nice to have your husband go grocery shopping with you while carrying the foods you bought. Iwaizumi was so tempted to tell them the truth but every single time he opened his mouth, Hinata would mutter a thank you as he bowed to the old women. It was truly amazing how Hinata could brush off the inaccurate compliments.

This time, the two went to buy meat. Iwaizumi was hoping that no one would assume that he and the younger male beside him were a couple when Hinata stopped walking.

"Iwaizumi-san... this time, let's pretend that we're reaaaaally a newlywed couple."

That stunned Iwaizumi. He narrowed his eyes and scrunched his nose before saying, "Are you an idiot? What would we get if we do that?"

Hinata faced the taller man and raised the grocery bag full of food.

"I didn't know people in Tokyo would give discounts for a newlywed couple but now that I know, let's make good use of it. I want to save money and you want to save as well! Let's do it! Let's buy meat and get a discount!" Hinata raised his fist in the air again.

Iwaizumi could hardly say any disagreement or complaint as Hinata linked his hand around the older male's arms.

"Lezgo!" exclaimed Hinata as he marched to the stall where he could buy meat.

When they finally arrived at the butcher's shop, they were greeted by the male butcher who immediately assumed that they were married. Iwaizumi scanned the place and seeing all of the meat inside, he felt his mouth water. Afterwards, he faced Hinata with a guilty look.

"Seems like we could only buy half a kilo of meat," Iwaizumi said out loud, catching the attention of Hinata and the butcher.

Hinata furrowed his eyebrows and said, "What? But we—"

"I'm a failure as a husband. My salary is too low so we should save money and buy less meat," Iwaizumi interrupted.

Hinata blinked once then twice then thrice. He cleared his throat and shook his head in disagreement. "Of course not! Don't worry, I'll buy half a kilogram of meat then you buy another half so we could get more meat! Stop being sad," Hinata hesitated as he took a deep breath before blurting out, "honey."

The butcher was moved so he added an extra kilogram of meat. Hinata and Iwaizumi bowed to show their gratefulness to the butcher before exiting the shop. Once they were out and away from the store, they snickered. They covered their mouths and chuckled at how much food they'd acquired because of a small, incorrect assumption. Hinata then lowered his hand as he beamed at the older male.

"Whoa! We should do this every time I go shopping! It's weird that people assumed that we're a married couple but it works!" he stated as he walked with a small bounce on each of his steps.

Iwaizumi nodded and was about to say yes when he realized what just happened. He walked slowly and let the younger male walk ahead. He watched Hinata check the bags in his hands as he kept marching home. Acting as a couple, Iwaizumi couldn't believe what he had done. He'd gotten caught up in the moment and the meat in front of him that he forgot that he was not supposed to act like a newlywed with the younger man as his bride. Grumbling at his mistake, Iwaizumi slapped his forehead before observing the ginger in front of him.

Maybe, Iwaizumi should reconsider what Oikawa told him. Even if the brunette did like the orange-haired male, that didn't mean that Iwaizumi couldn't like the same person. Sure, it would cause a conflict but surely, something like this wouldn't break his close ties with the brunette. With that thought in mind, Iwaizumi slowly accepted the realization that had hit him. It was unusual and unexpected but it seemed like the right answer at the moment.

What else could be the answer but this?

* * *

Once they got home, Iwaizumi instantly went to Oikawa to tell him something. Oikawa raised an eyebrow and told his friend to wait for him in his room. After a few minutes, Oikawa went to his room and closed the door behind him. He had his hand behind him as he leaned on the door while staring at Iwaizumi who was sitting on his bed with crossed arms.

"So... Iwa-chan, what's up? You went home with Shou-chan. Are you happy? Are you gonna rub it in my face to make me jealous?" Oikawa grilled.

"No... Actually, yeah. I'm saying this to make you jealous and," Iwaizumi started, "you might be right. I may actually like that person."

"Who?"

"Hinata."

Oikawa frowned after he heard this. He heaved a sigh and lowered his head. After a few seconds, he raised his head and showed a content grin.

"Finally! You realized it!" Oikawa exclaimed as he whined at how he had to plan all of his words to make Iwaizumi accept his feelings while not hurting him at the same time. Iwaizumi gaped at the brunette and stood up.

"You mean... you don't like Hinata?" he queried.

Oikawa's nose creased as he shook his head. "Shou-chan is cute but he's like my younger brother, in a way."

Iwaizumi rubbed the back of his neck as he groaned at the information.

Oikawa simply eyed his childhood friend before turning around and opening the door. Once he did, he found Kageyama looking at him with a grim expression. Iwaizumi stopped as he tried to process why Kageyama was in front of his friend's door while Oikawa pulled his phone out and checked it.

"Did you hear everything, Tobio-chan?" Oikawa asked.

"Yeah. I did. Thanks for letting me hear it, Oikawa-san," Kageyama replied as he entered the room.

Oikawa sensed that the black-haired male had something to say so he left the room and closed the door behind him, huffing in amusement. After Kageyama had asked him about his actions towards Hinata, the brunette decided to explain everything after lots of thinking. When Kageyama had heard it, he'd simply clicked his tongue and left the brunette alone.

Meanwhile, Kageyama faced Iwaizumi with his hands in his pockets.

"So you like that dumbass?" Kageyama greeted.

"Yeah. Why?" Iwaizumi nonchalantly replied, knowing full well who "that dumbass" was.

Kageyama grumbled under his breath and clenched the fists that were inside his pockets. He sent a scrutinizing gaze towards the older male and clicked his tongue.

"That dumbass has a lot on his plate. He has to support his sister's education and pay for his mother's medical fees. You know that already so why are you even doing this?" Kageyama spoke calmly.

"It's not like I could stop it, Kageyama. It's already there so I can't throw it away that easily," Iwaizumi retaliated.

Hearing this, Kageyama inhaled deeply before giving out a long exhale. He then looked at Iwaizumi with resolve.

"I might not look like it... but I'm worried for him. If you're not serious with him, then don't even try in the first place... Hinata has a lot of things to worry about, so don't add yourself to that list. You're not welcome."

After saying what was on his mind, Kageyama pulled his hands out and relaxed. He sent one last sharp stare towards Iwaizumi before exiting the room.

Once he was all alone, Iwaizumi plopped down on Oikawa's bed and thought about what Kageyama had said. He'd finally got the answer but somehow, he'd immediately been shot down before he could even try and say something to Hinata. Or maybe, it wasn't an immediate shot down, maybe it was just a warning before Iwaizumi could even try. Still, hearing that made him think hard.

Should he not chase after the orange-haired male after all?

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **ANDDDDD SO IT BEGINS! Iwa will finally pine after a certain ginger! This chapter is quite angst-y, isn't it? What do you think would happen next chapter? Will a confession be said or nah?**


	10. For Something Broken

"I've been cooking for all of us for weeks but I still don't know how to cook one thing."

Everybody stared at Hinata after hearing what the ginger had said. It was true that Hinata had been cooking for the group every morning and dinner so they expected Hinata to know every food and how to cook it.

Sugawara sent him a small smile before asking, "What is it? Maybe we can help."

Hinata grinned, as cheerful as ever. He grabbed the round frying pan and placed it on the stove before grabbing three eggs and showing them to the others. "I don't know how to cook egg rolls."

Oikawa smirked after he heard this. He glanced briefly at Iwaizumi and leaned on the table with his elbows propped on the table top while his chin rested on top of his palms.

"Oh! Egg rolls! Iwa-chan knows how to cook those! He can teach you!" Oikawa informed. Unbeknownst to him, Kageyama was sending a glare at him.

"Really? Iwa-chan would?" Hinata asked, stunning the others at his slip-up in addressing Iwaizumi.

Tsukishima narrowed his eyes at the shortest male while Sugawara downed his glass of water before staring at Hinata. Oikawa glanced at Iwaizumi and saw that his friend was frozen. Kageyama, on the other hand, was glaring at Oikawa.

"Oikawa-san, this is all your fault!" Kageyama shouted angrily.

"Huh?! How?!" the brunette queried with irritation.

"Uwah…I'm sorry! Oikawa-san is always saying Iwa-chan so I accidentally said it as well! I didn't mean to say it! It was just an accident!" Hinata explained while frantically apologizing. He gazed guiltily at Iwaizumi and waited for him to say that it was alright. Noticing this, Iwaizumi hastily gulped some more water before motioning that it was fine. Hinata sighed in relief before leaning on the counter.

"Iwa-chan, since it's fine with you, go teach Shou-chan how to cook some egg rolls." Oikawa insisted.

"That's right! You should teach me!" Hinata agreed.

Iwaizumi groaned and glanced at Kageyama, only to see him glowering at him. 'That guy will certainly kill someone,' Iwaizumi thought. He then accidentally stared at Sugawara. To his surprise, the gray-haired male smiled mischievously at him, as if he knew something about Iwaizumi and wouldn't hesitate to use it against him. This made Iwaizumi nervous so he ended up looking at Hinata, who was beaming with anticipation. After that, Iwaizumi nodded.

"Sure... I'll teach you." Iwaizumi spoke calmly, successfully hiding the fact that he was nervous.

"Okay then! I'll leave!" Oikawa stood up and went to his room.

Sugawara went after as he tugged on Tsukishima's collar to make the blond stand up as well. Tsukishima glanced shortly at Kageyama before going to his room. Kageyama clicked his tongue and left the kitchen. Once everybody had left, the two males went silent.

"Iwa-ch—I mean, Iwaizumi-san, come on!" Hinata said excitedly as he started preparing the ingredients and the various things to use.

Iwaizumi stood up and moved to stand beside him. He was reaching out for a bowl when Kageyama appeared behind him and coughed loudly, making both Hinata and Iwaizumi flinch.

"Ka—Kageyama! What are you doing? Don't get in the way!" Hinata said accusingly.

"Tsk! Don't get in the way? I'm not! I'm only here to get my drink!" Kageyama responded. He went to the fridge and angrily opened it. He scanned the shelves for a box of milk and once he found one, he yanked it out and slammed the fridge closed.

Hinata and Iwaizumi warily eyed Kageyama as they watched him stomp away, only for him to stop and turn around before walking towards Hinata. Kageyama then put his hand out.

"Your phone," he demanded.

Hinata raised an eyebrow and stepped away. "What the heck, Kageyama? You're acting weird," he commented.

"Fuc—Just give it to me!" Kageyama yelled so Hinata hissed at him before pulling his phone out and handing it to him.

Once it was in his hand, Kageyama went to the closet and opened it. He put the phone on record and placed it inside the cabinet so it would catch the whole moment on tape.

"Oi! Why are you recording this?!" Hinata furiously questioned.

"It's so you can be safe!" Kageyama replied as he sent a glare at Iwaizumi.

At the moment, Iwaizumi felt his irritation rising.

"Safe?! No one would kill me here!" Hinata argued.

"No one would but someone might do something to you!" Kageyama retorted.

"Iwaizumi-san is here!"

"That's even worse!"

Iwaizumi covered his face and grumbled. Should he interfere? He wasn't in any position to stop two friends from fighting but still, he was getting irritated so instead of saying something, Iwaizumi walked up to the cabinet where Kageyama placed Hinata's phone and reached for it but when he grabbed it, Kageyama also had his hand on it. This resulted in the two glaring at each other.

"Oi, cut it out. Stop messing around." Iwaizumi reprimanded.

"Let. Go. Of. Hinata's. Phone," Kageyama warned.

"I won't. It's Hinata's phone, not yours."

"Let it go, Iwaizumi-san."

The two had a small tug of war. Hinata watched with frustration as he felt impatient. Iwaizumi pulled on the phone while Kageyama forcefully tugged it back. They kept pulling until they accidentally lost their grips on it and as if it were a slow-motion video, they watched as the phone fell to the ground face first.

Hinata gawked at the event unfolding in front of him before rushing to his phone. He flipped it over and saw the screen was totally shattered. He tried to open it but to no avail. It wouldn't even turn on.

"No! No, no, no! Argh, my phone!" Hinata screamed in agony as he pushed himself up and glared at Iwaizumi and Kageyama. "Oi, you two broke my phone!" Hinata groaned in crossness. He was beyond angry but he had to prevent himself from getting too frustrated. He looked down at his phone and felt himself tearing up. How could this happen to his phone? His innocent phone that served as his only gateway to his sister and mother had only ever done its job yet it had received a treatment like this. How horrible.

"Oh god, no," Hinata whined as he sent another gleam at the two men in front of him. "What would you do now? My phone's broken!" He clicked his tongue and plopped down on the chair near the stove.

Iwaizumi and Kageyama stood mindlessly, remorseful over the fact that they had accidentally broke Hinata's phone.

"Dumbass, I could just buy you a new phone." Kageyama said.

"Belt it, Kageyama!" Hinata scolded as he gave another grumble. "Both of you should just apologize. That's all I want."

Iwaizumi and Kageyama stared at each other before facing the orange-haired male.

"We're... sorry."

Hinata crossed his arms and said, "That's it?"

"What do you want us to say? You said you wanted us to apologize," Iwaizumi replied.

"Apologize like you're in front of the police." Hinata spoke playfully.

Iwaizumi scoffed and retorted with "What? Are you crazy? I'm older than you."

Hinata stared darkly at Iwaizumi. "What did you say?" he uttered.

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes and lowered himself into a respectful bow. "I apologize, sir. It won't happen again."

Hinata huffed with pride when he heard Iwaizumi say that.

Meanwhile, Kageyama watched the two converse. He scanned the orange-haired male's expression and found him looking satisfied, whether it was the apology or the person who said the apology which made Hinata satisfied, he didn't know. All Kageyama knew was that it felt weird seeing his former partner looking like that.

* * *

"You messed up their alone time! What's wrong with you?" Oikawa grilled Kageyama as they sprawled on the couch.

After Sugawara left to go to his superior's office, Tsukishima left to study, Hinata and Miho went to the kindergarten, and Iwaizumi went to his workplace, the two were left alone in the share house and it was undeniable that they were both quite bored.

"Good. I wanted that to happen," Kageyama responded lethargically before leaning back on the couch.

Silence surrounded them. The only noise was the television and the female weather reporter's voice that informed them that there was an 82 percent chance of rain today. Oikawa and Kageyama didn't pay attention to it and simply stared at the ceiling out of boredom. All of a sudden, Oikawa had an idea so he sprang up and beamed at his wonderful idea that would surely exterminate the boredom that he felt.

"Tobio-chan! I wouldn't normally asked you this but since I'm bored, let's sing!" Oikawa invited Kageyama.

"No," was Kageyama's immediate response.

"Fine then, let's not sing but what we'll do instead is-" Oikawa pulled out a deck of card under the coffee table- "poker!"

"No."

The brunette complained because of the torturous boredom. He plopped down the couch and eyed the television. He saw a commercial about hiking. Oikawa sulked about how fun it seemed and out of nowhere, he sprang up again.

Kageyama side-eyed him nonchalantly and ignored the enthusiastic action the brunette made. Oikawa ran to the kitchen and Kageyama waited for him. After a while, Oikawa came back with a rope in his hands. Kageyama didn't know where the brunette got it but he let it slide since he didn't care enough.

"Tobio-chan, let's go climbing!"

Kageyama raised an eyebrow. "What? It's 2 in the afternoon and it's hot outside. I don't want to," he denied and kept his attention to the television.

Oikawa glowered at the younger male before thinking about how Kageyama had a tendency to believe something as long as it was passionate enough. Taking a risk, Oikawa took a deep breath before puffing his chest out.

"Tobio-chan!" Oikawa shouted passionately.

Kageyama turned to the brunette and narrowed his eyes.

Dramatically pointing at Kageyama, Oikawa said, "Are you alright with sitting still? Are you?! I know that you're bored and so am I! That's why..." Oikawa gazed at his former underclassman before exaggeratedly raising his fist in the air and declaring, "Lezgo! Let's climb to the roof and eradicate our boredom!"

Kageyama felt swayed. He pushed himself up and thought about it carefully. He didn't want to move, he wanted to wait for the volleyball match that would appear after the news finished but it would be at least an hour until then, anyway. So Kageyama considered the idea and realized that climbing the rooftop of the share house would be more fun than waiting for an hour for a volleyball match. And besides, playing volleyball is better than watching volleyball so gazing at Oikawa, Kageyama pushed his closed fist in the air.

"Lezgo," he blurted out.

Oikawa grinned as he handed the rope to Kageyama. "Tobio-chan, let's climb this house. Lezgo?" he asked for assurance.

"Lezgo." Kageyama nodded as he took hold of the rope.

The two held the rope as they pushed their closed fists dramatically into the air as if they were in a sports anime.

"Lezgo!" they cheered in synchronization before Oikawa took the lead and ran out of the house. Kageyama trailed behind him while they shouted their catchphrase at the top of their lungs.

Oikawa and Kageyama went to the third floor of the building they lived in. The first floor was only for the share house while the second and third floor were for the apartment and its separate room for people who wanted to live alone.

Once they were on the third floor, Oikawa tied the rope while Kageyama searched for a niche in the roof where the rope could be tied at so they could climb up. Once he found one, Kageyama asked for the rope so the brunette handed it to him. Kageyama then expertly tied it and tugged on it to see if it would break. When it didn't, he huffed with pride.

Oikawa eyed the house behind the share house. If he recalled it correctly, the house behind the share house was owned by Mr. Yano. It was where Sugawara and Miho were supposed to sleep but since it was lonely there, the two end up sleeping in the share house most of the time with Sugawara sleeping on the couch while Miho forcefully slept on either Tsukishima's bed or Hinata's.

The two men eyed the wall of Mr. Yano's house. It was too near to the share house. It was only half a meter away from the building so Oikawa and Kageyama knew what to do. They would parkour their way up the roof. It was the only way.

Kageyama was the first one to climb as he held on the rope while his feet were on the other house's wall. He pushed himself up and kept his grip tight on the rope so he wouldn't fall. After he finished, Oikawa went after. He tugged on the rope to see if it would break and when it didn't, he carefully scaled the other wall and kept climbing until he finally reached the rooftop. Once both of them were at the top, they stared at the view.

Oikawa sighed in relief as he pushed his sweat away. Kageyama looked at the houses before staring at the sun which was covered by the clouds. Both of them felt satisfied so they looked at one another before deciding to go back down since there was nothing to do on the rooftop.

Kageyama grabbed the rope and softly tugged it but to his surprise, the small bit of wood that the rope was tied to fell off. So did the rope.

Kageyama and Oikawa eyed the rope that was now hopelessly beyond their reach before glancing at each other. Kageyama's serene expression turned dark as he grabbed Oikawa's collar.

"How will we get down? The rope's gone." He spoke eerily calmly.

"Let go, Tobio-chan!" Oikawa pulled himself away from the male and scoffed. He looked at the sun that was slowly being covered by the gray clouds and thought of an idea. "Once Shou-chan is home, we'll call for him and he'll give us the rope," Oikawa said.

"He can't tie it," Kageyama deadpanned.

Oikawa felt his soul leave his body. Why did he suggest this? He was stupid to think of an idea like this just because he was bored. Oikawa held his head and kneeled on the roof.

"Why did we do this? Why did I do this? I'm so stupid. To think that I had the highest rank when I graduated college... but now look where I am. Stuck on a roof with someone stupid... I'm so stupid," Oikawa mused out loud before lying down on the roof to gaze at the afternoon sky.

Kageyama emptily stared at Oikawa. He sighed and did the same. Kageyama laid down on the roof and eyed the sky and the clouds and... seemed to have a realization.

"Why is the sky gray?" he asked.

"It's the cloud that's gray. Not the sky. You're so stupid, Tobio-chan." Oikawa corrected.

Kageyama side-glared at the brunette before returning his gaze at the sky. "Still, why is it gray?"

"The weather reporter said it would rain today. About... an 82 percent chance?"

The two men went quiet and looked at the cloud-covered sky. It was truly gray and it wasn't light gray, it was dark gray. All of a sudden, a drop of water fell on Kageyama's palm and when he looked at his hands, another drop fell and soon, it was pouring.

The two froze as they felt the sudden downpour drench their clothes. Neither spoke until they stood up and faced each other.

"Oikawa-san..." Kageyama growled. Oikawa backed away and raised his hands up.

"Tobio-chan, let me explain what we –"

"Shut it! How are we going to get down?! What if I get sick? I have practice tomorrow!" Kageyama cried as he cursed at the rain.

Oikawa gritted his teeth, too prideful to accept his mistake.

"I won't apologize, Tobio-chan! If you really didn't want it then you could've said no!" shouted Oikawa.

Kageyama one-handedly grabbed the brunette's collar and pulled him close. "I'm sick of you acting like the world revolves around you. You only think about yourself and nobody else! You better get me down or I swear... I'll fire you."

The sudden outburst silenced the brunette. He kept his gaze at Kageyama and as the younger male's grip on his shirt loosened, Oikawa stood stunned, motionless.

Kageyama scoffed at him before looking up at the sky and cursing at it. Oikawa observed the younger male and watched him carefully. How come he was called out? Oikawa couldn't understand it. How come he acted like the world revolved around him? Wasn't Kageyama like that as well?

Laughing lowly, Oikawa walked towards Kageyama and grabbed his shoulder. He raised his fist but instead of punching the younger male, he just let it stay in the air, confused on what he should do. Kageyama looked at him with shock and once again, Oikawa was reminded by something from the past.

Somehow, Oikawa couldn't deny that he did something wrong to the younger male in the past. Was it his fault? Oikawa wouldn't say yes but he had a hunch that maybe, it was his fault for why the younger male ended up like that. Letting go of Kageyama, Oikawa backed away and sat down on the roof as the rain poured heavily on both of them.

"Oikawa-san, why are you acting like this?"

Oikawa raised his head and saw Kageyama showing a gloomy expression.

"Acting like what?" he asked.

"Like this. Like you hate me." Kageyama answered.

The two didn't say anything. Their clothes were drenched and Oikawa couldn't feel himself acting straight anymore. He smirked and said, "Why should I tell you?"

"Whatever reason it is... I'm sure that it's petty since," Kageyama said, "Sugawara-san told me that you probably feel insecure when you're with me. Isn't that petty?"

Oikawa clicked his tongue and glared at the younger male. "Shut up. I don't hate you. I just don't like seeing you or being with you because you piss me off. The reason why isn't petty as well! I just don't like you since we don't mesh well! That's it so stop asking!" Oikawa argued. He stared at Kageyama and waited for a response. Honestly, seeing the younger male look so solemn seemed to have made him guilty but Oikawa had pride so he huffed and looked away. There was no way that he'd apologize to Kageyama.

Kageyama heaved a sigh and went to the edge of the roof. Oikawa warily watched him. Kageyama leaned closer to check if someone was down but when he saw none, he groaned and turned around. He was about to walk back to the center of the roof when he slipped on the wet shingles. This made Oikawa flinch as he approached the younger male instantly.

"Oi! Are you trying to kill yourself?!" He grilled. "I said I don't like you but I don't want you to die in front of me."

Kageyama pushed himself up and felt his back hurting. He stretched his neck and rubbed his shoulders as he sat on the roof while the rain fell on him. He gazed at the brunette weirdly.

"If you don't like me, then stop getting worried!" he scolded and shook his head in disapproval.

"Hah? I'm not worried! I just don't wanna be framed for your stupid self-caused death!" Oikawa retorted.

"Stupid? Me? Oi, I'll really fire you!"

"Go ahead! Good bye, Tobio-chan! I'm a free man!"

The two glared at each other until the rain became heavier. This made the two cuss under their breath as they glowered at the sky. Once the situation became peaceful, Oikawa looked down at Kageyama before sitting in front of him with a sulk. Kageyama noticed this so he opened his mouth to comment on it.

"Don't say anything. This is nothing special. I'm not trying to make-up with you." Oikawa interrupted.

Kageyama blinked and looked away.

Once he was staring at something else, the brunette observed the younger male and bit his tongue. It was as if Kageyama hadn't changed ever since middle-school. In Oikawa's eyes, Kageyama was still the same innocent and naive middle-school student who irritated him.

With a sharp exhale, Oikawa caught Kageyama's attention. Once he stared at the brunette, Oikawa flipped him off. Kageyama did the same and even had the audacity to send Oikawa two. Seeing that, Oikawa chuckled but immediately covered his mouth to avoid giving the younger male the satisfaction of making him laugh. Oikawa then checked Kageyama's face and caught a glimpse of the male smiling. Again.

 _'What the – Why is he smiling again? Is he crazy?'_ Oikawa thought.

To prevent himself from seeing Kageyama, Oikawa pushed himself up and checked the roof. He eyed each corner and scanned them carefully. Out of the blue, something caught his eyes. He went closer and narrowed his eyes when he saw something sticking out on the roof. He approached it and when he was near it, Oikawa gasped.

It was a ladder.

Oikawa kneeled in front of the ladder and felt himself start to cry.

Kageyama came closer and saw the ladder as well. The two men stared at each other and suddenly, they both had a shaky smile.

Oikawa stood up and looked at Kageyama who pumped a fist in the air while looking determined.

"Lezgo," Kageyama said calmly yet oddly resolute.

Oikawa stared at his hand before pumping a fist in the air as well.

"Lezgo!" both of them shouted before Oikawa went down first then Kageyama after. They eagerly climbed down the stairs as they visualized what it was like to sit back on the couch as relaxed as they can. When Oikawa landed on the ground, he felt himself jump for joy on account of being on land again. He stared at Kageyama who was still climbing down and waited for him, even calling him out with names so Kageyama would go faster.

Until, Kageyama somehow slipped again.

It was as if everything were in slow motion. Oikawa reached out to catch the younger male and when the back of Kageyama's head slammed on the brunette's forehead, both of them yelped in pain. Oikawa fell on the ground down with Kageyama on top of him. They stayed that way for a second until Kageyama rolled away from the older male. Oikawa held his forehead and groaned at how painful it was. He then looked at Kageyama and to his surprise, Kageyama, who was drenched from head to toe, was smiling at the sky because he'd finally landed on the ground.

Oikawa froze for a while and gazed at the younger male.

"No way..." Oikawa muttered. He kept his eyes on the male and when Kageyama faced him, he recalled the Kageyama Tobio from middle-school. Oikawa realized that he was wrong and he felt guilty for almost punching someone so naive and pure. Gasping and covering his mouth, Oikawa sat up and stared at Kageyama with anxiousness.

"Oikawa-san, are you alright?" Kageyama furrowed his eyebrows as Oikawa backed away.

"Nope... this couldn't be... I did something wrong. Very wrong," Oikawa said as he placed a hand on his chest. It was oddly beating fast. What was that about? "Oh hell no." Oikawa stood up and gawked at Kageyama, who looked very worried each passing second.

The brunette inhaled deeply to calm himself but when Kageyama tilted his head and asked him if he was alright, Oikawa yelled in frustration.

"Go away, Tobio-chan!" shouted Oikawa as he ran to the share house, leaving Kageyama confused and worried.

"What the hell?" Kageyama blurted out.

Oikawa slammed the door open and saw Sugawara inside. Sugawara narrowed his eyes at Oikawa who seemed to be horrified. Oikawa looked at him and teared up.

"Suga! I did something wrong and I'm feeling something wrong! This can't be happening! Not with him!" Oikawa cried as he stomped to his room.

Sugawara raised an eyebrow at the strange action.

Kageyama then entered the house and when Sugawara saw that he was drenched, he had a weird hunch. Thinking about Oikawa and Kageyama's odd relationship. Sugawara smirked, his mind rapidly filling with mischievous ideas.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Oikawaaaaaa. Yayay! The second pairing is here! How nice isn't it?**

 **Since this focused on OiKage, two of the next chapters would still be about them. Don't worry, I promise not to disappoint you. I somehow made the two act cute and be compatible (*v*)**


	11. Exaggerations

Iwaizumi watched as Oikawa pulled the covers over himself. Oikawa was acting ridiculous and at this point, Iwaizumi couldn't stand it any longer. After all, if someone was taking up space on your bed for no particular reason, you'd get pissed off as well.

"Trashykawa, you better get out of my bed and leave my room," Iwaizumi warned.

"No! If I go out, I'll see him!" Oikawa whined.

"Who the hell... are you talking about?" Iwaizumi queried, his patience growing thin.

"Tobio-chan! He's out there!"

Iwaizumi eyed his childhood friend. He knew that Oikawa tended to be insecure whenever Kageyama was around but what Iwaizumi didn't know was that Oikawa was the type that would hole himself up just because the person who made him insecure was around. As interesting as it was, Iwaizumi wanted to rest and he was getting none of that because Oikawa was being the upgraded version of his usual whiny self.

"Get out and face Kageyama," Iwaizumi said with irritation. He then recalled how he and Kageyama had accidentally broken Hinata's phone and immediately, Iwaizumi cringed. "You and Kageyama... both of you are irritating," Iwaizumi commented.

Oikawa pulled the covers away and glared at his friend. "Me and Tobio-chan?! You and Tobio-chan are irritating!" Oikawa snapped back.

Iwaizumi grabbed Oikawa's collar and proceeded to pull him out of his bed. Oikawa was dragged on the floor and when he was on the ground, Iwaizumi stared at him emptily.

"Get out now. I'll literally square you in the face," Iwaizumi threatened so Oikawa stood up and when he did, he teared up.

"Iwa-chan... did I do something bad to Tobio-chan? I didn't, right?" the brunette asked.

"You did," was Iwaizumi's straightforward answer.

"Argh... okay, I get that but what I don't get is this weird..." Oikawa didn't continue his statement. He looked at Iwaizumi and huffed. "Never mind! I'll just go!" Oikawa crossed his arms. Someone knocked on the door so he turned around and walked to get, but when he opened it he saw Kageyama was outside.

"Oikawa-san, dinner is re—"

Oikawa slammed the door closed in Kageyama's face. The brunette then faced Iwaizumi and covered his face as he groaned. Oikawa sank down the floor and felt himself start to decay with how much his heart and mind were confusing him. In this case, Oikawa wouldn't mind being sent to a mental asylum just so he could get away from a certain black-haired setter who had hired Oikawa to be his sports agent.

On the other hand, Iwaizumi heaved a sigh at how stupid his friend was. "Oikawa, if you're guilty then just apologize to Kageyama. Maybe that's what you're agonizing over," Iwaizumi suggested.

Oikawa perked up and considered the suggestion. If he apologized then maybe his confusion would be eradicated and Oikawa could continue insulting Kageyama like nothing had ever happened. If things went according to plan, Oikawa could feel better about himself since he apologized for his mistake, although he didn't want to admit that he had done something wrong.

"Okay, then! I'll apologize!" Oikawa said before facing the door and opening it. He exited Iwaizumi's room and went to the living room. As he walked with confidence, Kageyama saw him and called out to him. Oikawa froze and looked at Kageyama.

"Oikawa-san, Hinata made dinner," Kageyama informed as he motioned the older male to come and eat.

Oikawa blinked and bit his lower lip before heading to the kitchen and dining room. For now, Oikawa just had to endure it and apologize at some other time.

* * *

"Sugawara-san, you've been smiling slyly a lot," Tsukishima remarked.

"Oh, really? Didn't know that," Sugawara replied.

"Yeah... actually—" Tsukishima glanced sharply at Sugawara— "it almost feels like you're planning something."

Sugawara stared at the blond before grinning kindly. "What? That's weird! Why would I plan something? I'm not that cunning, you know!" he denied.

Tsukishima didn't believe him.

"Whoa! Kou-kun, look at what Tsumikishi Neet gave Miho!" A girl came running in from the hallway with a dinosaur that was half her size in her hand.

"Wow! That's cool! Tsukishima gave it to you, huh?" Sugawara questioned as he patted Miho's head.

"Yeah! Tsurashima Kanji gave it!"

Tsukishima was certain that it was the ashen-haired male who had asked Miho to call Tsukishima by the wrong name all the time. Narrowing his eyes and observing Sugawara, Tsukishima was unaware that Miho saw him staring at her uncle.

"Eh? Are you Kou-kun's stalker Tsuzumiya Kon?" Miho interrogated with a suspicious glare.

Tsukishima leered at her and glanced at Sugawara, only to see him smiling mischievously.

"Wahhh, Tsukki kept staring at me. That's why I kept feeling like someone was stalking me," Sugawara teased.

"No, I'm not stalking you," the blond male denied. "I'm just checking if you were the one who told the kid to keep butchering my name."

"Huh? Are you... accusing me?" Sugawara asked with a pained expression and his hand on his chest to further accentuate his pain.

"Maybe," Tsukishima retorted.

Miho watched as the two older men glared at each other. She felt conflicted and didn't know who she should team up with so she teared up and waved the dinosaur in her arms to stop the two from fighting, resulting in Sugawara and Tsukishima getting hit in the nose and forehead, respectively, by the dinosaur's head as Miho thrashed it about.

"Miho, that hurts!" Sugawara scolded as Tsukishima rubbed his forehead. The ashen-haired male sighed before returning his gaze to the blond.

"Fine, I'll accept your accusations if you take a picture of me looking sly. If you can't, then I won't tell you who really asked Miho to butcher your name," Sugawara said as he stood up and looked down on Tsukishima.

"Fine," Tsukishima said as he raised his glasses up with his middle finger before heading to his room.

"Oi! You flipped me off, didn't you?!" Sugawara grilled.

Tsukishima merely smirked to himself as he shut the door behind him.

The next morning, the usual routine happened with Kageyama trying to schedule another practice by complaining to a certain brunette, Oikawa yelling at Kageyama to avoid him, Iwaizumi avoiding Oikawa who kept approaching him, Hinata feeding Miho, Miho butchering Tsukishima's name, and Tsukishima keeping a scrutinizing eye on Sugawara. Meanwhile, Sugawara simply enjoyed the madness that occurred every morning.

After that, most of the share house residents left and once Sugawara was alone, he finally started his work. And after four hours of working, Sugawara decided to go roam the city and roam he did. He called his sister and asked her to spend time with him since he was bored and luckily, his sister agreed and told Sugawara where they should meet. Afterwards, he went to the cafe his sister told him about which was near the university Tsukishima attended and, unfortunately, when he entered, he saw Tsukishima and his older brother sitting in the far corner.

Tsukishima instantly noticed Sugawara enter so he pulled his phone out and carefully watched the older male.

Sugawara sat in a vacant seat and ignored the blond siblings. He felt his phone vibrate and when he checked who it was, he smirked. It was Oikawa.

Tsukishima caught the smirk that the older male gave so he aimed his phone at Sugawara. Akiteru noticed his brother's actions so he looked behind him and was horrified to see that Sugawara was behind him. Akiteru gazed at his brother and saw the careful but determined look that his younger brother had as he pointed the camera at the gray-haired man.

"Kei..." Akiteru muttered. "You're taking a picture of your boyfriend without him knowing, huh? That's sweet of you. You must like him so much." Akiteru totally misunderstood the situation.

Tsukishima narrowed his eyes at his older brother before returning his attention to take a picture of a rare smirking Sugawara.

Meanwhile, Sugawara's sister, Fuyumi, arrived. She saw her younger brother was looking at his phone with a smirk in his face. Fuyumi smiled and was about to approach her younger brother when she caught a glimpse of Tsukishima aiming his phone at her younger brother. Fuyumi observed Tsukishima and gasped at the realization. She covered her mouth and teared up.

 _"Oh wow... Kei-kun... unlike his older brother, Kei-kun is sweet. Taking picture of Koushi when he isn't looking, Kei-kun must really like Koushi and... that's such boyfriend material! I'm feeling jealous! I wanna date too!"_ Fuyumi internally mused enviously. She then approached her brother and tapped on his shoulder.

Sugawara turned around and saw his sister so he smiled brightly and motioned her to sit down.

Fuyumi nodded and sat down before pointing at Tsukishima so Sugawara glanced to where his sister pointed and saw the blond male attempting to take a picture of him. He immediately posed for the camera.

Tsukishima, who was about to take a snap of Sugawara smirking, took a picture of Sugawara smiling instead. The blond male clicked his tongue and checked the image. When he saw it, he took a second to register.

"What is it? Did the picture turn out good?" Akiteru questioned.

Tsukishima looked at him and gave his phone.

Akiteru wowed at the photo. In the picture, Sugawara was smiling softly as he stared at the camera with a hint of mischief. The lighting turned out fine since Sugawara was sitting beside the window and his clothes were stylish, yet simple. Akiteru grinned at his brother before giving it back.

Once Tsukishima had it, he gazed at the picture for a while and wondered if he should delete it. He then sighed and turned his phone off before pushing his phone inside his pocket, making sure that the image hadn't been deleted.

* * *

Kageyama glared at Oikawa. "You're avoiding me," he said coldly.

"Eh... well," Oikawa started, rubbing the back of his neck. "I have a good explanation for that and—"

"I don't care. If you keep avoiding me, I'll fire you." Kageyama cut Oikawa's sentence off. "How will I schedule something if you're away? Keep close to me, got it?"

After that, Kageyama left Oikawa's room. Oikawa, on the other hand, felt conflicted. He pulled the covers up over himself and wondered what he should do. No matter how much he thought about it, Oikawa couldn't find the answer. He'd tried apologizing yet somehow, Kageyama's response made him angry. When the brunette sincerely apologized, Kageyama had just stared at him as if he was sick in the head and said, "Are you crazy, Oikawa-san? What do you want? Money? Food?"

That pissed Oikawa off so he decided not to apologize anymore, yet after that decision, Oikawa's life became even more miserable. He kept seeing Kageyama as the same middle-school kid and Oikawa was more than aware of how he hated it. He didn't feel guilty after all so what was it? What made him act like that?

The next day, Kageyama woke up early to jog. Once he finished, everybody was awake. Kageyama had forgotten his schedule for the day again so he went to ask Oikawa but when he opened the door to the brunette's room, he wasn't there. Kageyama went to Iwaizumi's room and found Oikawa on the ground complaining about Iwaizumi who was on the bed.

The room was silent as Oikawa and Kageyama looked at each other. Oikawa stood up and quietly went out of Iwaizumi's room. Once the two were outside, Kageyama was about to open his mouth when Oikawa interrupted him with, "You don't have anything to do today. You're free. Bye."

Afterwards, the brunette made to leave but like hell Kageyama was going to let him pass. He grabbed the brunette's wrist and held it tightly. Oikawa blinked and turned around but to his surprise, Kageyama seemed to look like the same middle-school student that kept pestering Oikawa back in the day so the brunette pushed him away while rubbing his wrist.

"Fucking—damn it, Tobio-chan! Get away from me!" Oikawa yelled as he rubbed his wrist as if someone dirty had touched him.

"What's wrong with you?" Kageyama questioned hastily. When the older male ignored him, he grabbed his shoulders and made Oikawa face him. "What's wrong with you? You're acting weird," Kageyama commented, unaware of his close proximity to the brunette.

Meanwhile, Oikawa was getting quite nervous. He didn't like it at all.

 _"But wait a minute... If Tobio-chan looks like a middle-school student in my eyes and if his age when he was in middle school was twelve and right now, he's in front of me and is super close to my face and if being close to someone is related to kissing someone then does that mean that I'm... kissing a twelve-year old?!"_ Oikawa hastily thought before pushing Kageyama away from him.

"No! No way in hell I'll do that!" he exclaimed before entering a random room and locking it, leaving Kageyama shocked.

The black-haired male scoffed before moving to stand in front of the door that Oikawa had locked himself behind. Kageyama fished for his keys and once he got them, he unlocked the door. He pushed it open and saw Oikawa staring at him in horror while hiding under the covers.

"Oikawa-san, this is my room," Kageyama said slowly, attempting to be patient with the older male.

 _"Wait? If this Tobio-chan's room and the Tobio-chan I know is the same twelve-year old middle school student and I entered his room forcefully and pulled the covers that Tobio-chan owns then does that mean that I'm a... trespasser who's also a pervert who likes staying in an underage boy's room?!"_ Oikawa pushed the covers away from him and walked away from the bed. He gulped and faked a smile but Kageyama was having none of it.

He loomed near the male but Oikawa stepped back. Kageyama kept walking closer while the brunette kept walking away and they kept doing that until Oikawa felt the wall behind him. Before Oikawa could escape, Kageyama slammed his both of his hands on the wall, successfully pinning the older male.

"Oi, what the fuck are you playing at?" Kageyama grilled impatiently.

 _"What the hell... if Tobio-chan is twelve years old and he's currently pinning me on the wall and I'm not doing anything to stop him then... does that mean that I'm a..."_ Oikawa couldn't finish his thought because he covered his face. "Tobio-chan, you're going to get me arrested!" Oikawa yelled in frustration.

"What? What are you talking about?" Kageyama questioned, utterly weirded out by the brunette's sudden statement.

"No... I don't wanna be put in jail because of pedophilia!" Oikawa screamed.

Kageyama backed away as he fully grasped what the brunette just said. "You... you're a pedophile?" Kageyama queried with terror as he avoided the brunette.

"No! I'm not!" retorted Oikawa.

"Then what?!"

"I just don't want to be with you for a while! Just leave me alone! You're freaking me out!"

The room went silent after that.

Finally, Oikawa lowered his hands and finally looked at Kageyama.

On the other hand, Kageyama seemed to have understood the situation. He rubbed his temples and gazed at the brunette. "Then get out of my room. I need to rest and you're in the way," Kageyama aloofly said as he motioned for Oikawa to leave.

Oikawa looked at Kageyama and felt a pinch in his chest. He bit the inside of his cheek before exiting the room and closing the door behind him. He then saw Sugawara, who seemed to have been on his way to enter Kageyama's room, staring at him with confusion.

"What happened? You two were being noisy," Sugawara remarked but Oikawa forced a strained smile before shaking his head and entering his own room. He had to fix this problem instantly or he'd lose something big.

Sugawara watched as Oikawa closed the door. After that, Sugawara headed to Kageyama's room and smiled at him.

"What happened? Want to start ranting?" he asked as he gave a soft smile.

Kageyama hesitated for a few seconds before nodding.

Once Sugawara saw this, he entered the room and closed the door behind him. He headed towards the younger male and sat beside him on the bed. He waited for Kageyama to say something and after a whole minute, Kageyama heaved a long sigh but didn't say anything. Sugawara sighed as well and said, "You have to open up, Kageyama."

Kageyama nodded. "Sometimes, I get scared."

Sugawara gaped at what Kageyama said. He was opening his mouth to tell Kageyama that he should only say what was troubling him at the moment (not his whole tragic backstory) when Kageyama said something that stunned Sugawara even further.

"I'm getting too comfortable in this share house and it scares me." Kageyama sent a look of sincerity towards Sugawara. "I know that I'll be leaving this house one way or another but... for the meantime, it's scary how the people in this house makes me feel at home. Oikawa-san is also one of them, which makes it even scarier."

Sugawara smiled softly at this and waited for Kageyama to continue.

"I feel like I got too attached to the people here... especially, Oikawa-san." Kageyama looked away, a shade of red dusting his cheeks.

Sugawara felt a chuckle come out from his mouth, earning him a puzzled stare from Kageyama. Sugawara covered his mouth and calmed himself down. After a while, he eyed Kageyama with gentleness that made Kageyama feel like he was seeing his mother's stare again.

"What's wrong with getting attached? It's a part of life. Getting close to someone and leaving them. Sure, it would hurt to part from important people but it's just like high school. You graduate and your life goes on. You're a strong person, Kageyama. Don't get scared that you're getting attached to the people here. That's what makes this share house feel special. How we get oddly attached to someone we didn't expect we would get close to," Sugawara advised.

"But Sugawara-san... it's different. It feels like a different sort of attachment," Kageyama said.

Sugawara smiled playfully. "I know that, Kageyama. What I don't know is which person you're referring to."

Kageyama paused for a while. He thought about which person he was indicating and recalled a certain brunette.

"Uh... Oikawa-san?" Kageyama replied unsurely.

"Ohhh, him, huh? I guessed it right," Sugawara said, "I think I know what you're feeling and it isn't attachment."

"Then what is it?"

"You probably like him."

"What?" was all Kageyama could blurt out. He sat, unmoving, completely baffled by the sudden declaration. Kageyama Tobio? Liking someone? Even Kageyama himself was shocked. He was a man and he thought he was interested in women. Kageyama didn't really care which gender he liked but the sudden statement from someone else made him perplexed. He had just recently liked a girl and now he'd started to like a man. What was he then?

"I... if I like men and women, then what am I?" Kageyama questioned.

"You can be straight and not straight at the same time... that means you're a flexible ruler," Sugawara joked.

Kageyama grumbled at the joke and folded his arms.

Sugawara chuckled at the reaction he got. "Sorry, sorry. I was tempted to say something funny. But yeah, you're probably bisexual." Sugawara spoke in a laidback manner.

Kageyama nodded before saying, "And I'm bisexual... because of Oikawa-san?"

"Yup. Seems like it."

Kageyama blinked at the realization. He thought about the brunette and wondered when he'd started to like him. Kageyama grumbled and laid back on his bed. He accidentally recalled the time when he was on the roof with Oikawa, both of them gazing at the cloud-covered sky. He slapped his forehead and sprang up. He then remembered that time when the older male almost died just so Kageyama could do a photoshoot as well as all the moments when Oikawa was rude to him. With how rude Oikawa was, Kageyama had to ponder about what his preferred type of person actually was.

"What I like is someone who won't mind me playing volleyball, knows a thing or two about it, supports me, and talks to me without being fake." Kageyama thought out loud as he connected his type and Oikawa. When he noticed that they connected, he froze.

Sugawara watched the younger male experience a mental breakdown. He smirked before standing up. "Good luck with your feelings, Kageyama," he said without turning around as he left.

Kageyama was left alone all by his confusing feelings and thoughts.

"What the... why?" Kageyama muttered before standing up and exiting his room. He closed the door behind him and looked at Oikawa's door with confusion. He groaned in frustration and chose to go to the living room. Fine, he accepted that he liked the brunette but Kageyama wouldn't confess first. He had his pride and he wouldn't let the brunette get the satisfaction of knowing that Kageyama liked him. With that in mind, Kageyama went to the living room, a smile breaking out before disappearing a split-second after.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **OiKage finally finally realized their feelings! You might be shocked at how fast these two are developing but fear not! I'm a master in flow so everything that happens here is something that I did for a reason! By the end of this story, you'll be satisfied with how beautiful the ending is... hopefully :))**

 **Anyway, this is all! Thanks for reading and as always, I hope this chapter made you smile or laugh. Bye ~(ㅇvㅇ)~**


	12. Keep Denying It

"Something's wrong. Something's definitely wrong," Hinata murmured.

"What is it? Are you alright?" Iwaizumi asked before grabbing some of the snack that Sugawara had, much to the gray-haired male's irritation.

Hinata motioned to the kitchen. "Kageyama... he looks down."

Sugawara and Tsukishima stopped before glancing at Kageyama through the window in the wall that divided the living room and kitchen.

Iwaizumi also turned around to observe Kageyama and found the black-haired male drinking his daily box of milk slowly while staring at nothing. Iwaizumi narrowed his eyes and wondered what was wrong with Kageyama. He then recalled a certain brunette who was also down at the moment.

"What the hell... Oikawa's down as well," Iwaizumi said.

"Really? They've been avoiding each other for the past few days. I'm worried," Hinata mused out loud before returning his gaze to the television.

Meanwhile, Sugawara thought about a plan that would make situation interesting but of course, he would only put this plan in action once Oikawa and Kageyama somehow got together. Sugawara smiled cunningly as he leaned on the couch.

Tsukishima sneakily glanced at Sugawara before secretly snapping a picture of him looking suspicious.

Sugawara faced the camera and beamed brightly, much to Tsukishima's frustration.

"We should do something about this! We have to make them talk to each other!" Hinata enthusiastically suggested.

"Eh? Ah... you sure?" Sugawara questioned.

"Yeah! We should leave them here alone for today!"

The three males stared at Hinata quietly. Sugawara stood up and called out to Miho who was inside Tsukishima's room playing dinosaurs and cars. Once Miho was there, the four men headed out of the share house with Miho in tow.

When Kageyama was all alone, he slumped in his seat and thought about his situation. Four days had passed since Kageyama had come to terms with his feelings yet Oikawa still hadn't talked to him or even approached him. There were fewer arguments between both of them and that unnerved Kageyama. Considering how much they bickered, Kageyama felt weird about walking past the brunette without Oikawa calling out to him then insulting him about his clothes or his way of walking or anything else that could possibly irk Oikawa.

One of the doors then creaked open in the hall and when Kageyama gazed out into the corridor to see who had come of their room, he saw Oikawa heading to the living room with a relaxed expression as he held his phone in front of him.

Oikawa paused when he caught a glimpse of Kageyama. After a few seconds, he proceeded to plop on the couch, ignoring the younger male's presence. Though he was still anxious about the black-haired male who seemed to be the same kid who irritated him back in middle-school, Oikawa was successful in feigning ignorance to the younger male.

The two men kept the awkward tension between them. The wall that parted the living room and kitchen seemed to be non-existent with how much Kageyama was staring at the brunette. He kept wondering how in heaven's name he had ended up admiring the brunette. Was he a masochist who liked getting insulted? Kageyama couldn't grasp it but he accepted it nonetheless, no matter how confusing and illogical it was.

"God damn it!" Oikawa pushed himself up and faced Kageyama. "Oi. Stop being silent. It's unusual," Oikawa stated with an annoyed face.

"What? You said you wanted me away. Stop talking to me," Kageyama nonchalantly replied, as if he didn't hold any special feelings for the older male.

"Yeah! I said that but—" Oikawa hesitated as he looked away— "at least ask why I'm avoiding you."

Kageyama and Oikawa went silent. Kageyama sucked a sharp inhale before standing up and heading to the living room. He stood in front of the brunette and frowned at him. "What the _actual fuck_ are you saying?"

Oikawa blinked when he heard the younger male curse at him. He opened his mouth to say something but Kageyama cut him off.

"You were the one who wanted to avoid me so I was just making it easier. Now, you're asking for my attention? What kind of sick play are you into?" Kageyama grilled with frustration. As if his confusion about his feelings didn't already make him angry, Oikawa's mind-baffling actions made Kageyama even angrier.

"I'm not asking for your attention! What are you assuming?" Oikawa retorted.

"Then what was that? I should at least ask you why you're avoiding me. You suggested that, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I'm begging for you to notice me!"

"It doesn't look like that to me!"

"Stop assuming, you idiot! It isn't like that!"

The two glared at each other. Kageyama huffed in irritation before storming out of the living room in utter fury. He had lost the will to fight with someone so petty.

Oikawa, on the other hand, shook his head at how ridiculous Kageyama was being. Him? Ask for attention? Oikawa wouldn't have minded the attention, but this was Kageyama he was talking about. And for all the brunette knew, Oikawa didn't like Kageyama so why would he ask for the younger male's attention? It didn't make sense no matter how he tried to phrase it to himself.

Frustrated, Oikawa hissed and kicked the air. He angrily sat down the couch and mused about his situation. It was true that he saw the black-haired male as a kid and it was also true that there was something in him that kept on making Oikawa feel sort of…satisfied. The brunette knew that it was because of Kageyama but since he saw him as the same middle-school kid, it felt wrong. Somehow.

 _"I can't believe this... romancing the middle-school kid that irritated me... huh! Unbelievable!"_ Oikawa thought out loud as he crossed his arms and sulked. He wouldn't let himself be known. Even Oikawa knew that his reason was petty. Being prideful, he would kept silent about his pathetic reason.

His phone suddenly rang and when Oikawa checked it, he saw a message from Sugawara.

 _"If you keep being prideful, you would never know that he feels the same way."_

Oikawa read the message carefully. He scoffed at it before turning his phone down. Who was "he"? Oikawa didn't know so he ignored the message and kept his eyes on the blank television.

He recalled what Kageyama told him. _"I'm sick of you acting like the world revolves around you. You only think about yourself and nobody else! You better get me down or I swear... I'll really fire you."_

Now that he was thinking about it, Oikawa could've sworn that he would've said that to Kageyama as well and because of that, the realization that he was truly a conceited person hit Oikawa hard. The brunette bit his lower lip and looked at the door to Kageyama's room. If Oikawa's guess was correct and the person Sugawara was referring to was none other than Kageyama, then Oikawa had the right to make sure that Sugawara was wrong. After all, why would Oikawa like the same brat that annoyed him so much?

He pushed himself up and headed to the younger male's room. Oikawa took a deep breath before entering the room without knocking. Once he was inside, he stared at Kageyama seriously.

"Let's fix this," Oikawa blurted out as he closed the door behind him.

Kageyama glared at the older male and motioned for him to talk.

Oikawa huffed at how arrogant Kageyama seemed but let it pass since he had to act mature for once. He had his job on the line as well. Oikawa wouldn't let himself get fired because of something small. "Tobio-chan, let's get this straight, I'm your sports agent and you're my client. Let's act as that, okay?" Oikawa declared.

Kageyama stood up from his bed and shook his head. "No. I hate that proposal. I won't do it," Kageyama disagreed.

"What?" Oikawa uttered.

"I don't want that. I want something more."

The room went silent as Oikawa processed the statement from Kageyama. He gazed at the younger male and recalled how Kageyama used to always follow him around when they were younger, begging for Oikawa to teach him to serve. In reality, this declaration wasn't all that far removed from the way Kageyama used to beg, but the way it was phrased now felt...different. Oikawa huffed in frustration as he pushed his hair back. This couldn't be happening.

"Tobio-chan, I only see you as the annoying kid that kept following me in middle-school. I can't see you as anything more than that," Oikawa stated.

Kageyama clenched his fist. He walked towards the brunette and grabbed his collar. Kageyama stopped himself from closing the gap between him and the brunette and simply stared intensely at the older male.

Oikawa froze under the sudden heated gaze and the unexpected action from the younger male.

"I'm not a kid. Give me an answer and I'll let you go," Kageyama spoke lowly. "Will you go out with me?"

Neither one spoke after that. Oikawa gulped and tried to push Kageyama away but the younger male had held him tightly. Kageyama tugged the brunette closer and pushed his pride away.

"Is that why you're avoiding me? Because I'm a kid? Oikawa-san, I'm almost as tall as you. How can you see me as the same twelve-year old kid?" Kageyama grilled.

"No, I... well, it's because..." Oikawa stuttered, still in the process of registering the abrupt moment. He inhaled before exhaling shortly. He observed the male in front of him and instead of seeing the twelve-year old brat who had always admired him with naive eyes, it was Kageyama in front of him, mature and almost as tall as him.

 _"Argh, what am I doing? I'm being bested at romance by this brat and I hate being bested, especially by him,"_ Oikawa thought to himself. He swallowed his pride and forgot about his hesitation before leaning in to close the distance between the two.

It was 11:30 AM and it was hot outside yet the two people inside the room managed to make things even warmer.

Oikawa leaned closer as Kageyama stood stunned. He hadn't been expecting this. This was not what Kageyama had planned. All he wanted to do on this summer day was to clear up his confusing feelings and tell the older male what he felt. Kageyama had been expecting to be rejected so he readied himself as such, yet this clearly the reaction he had completely planned for.

Oikawa pulled away and stepped back. He calmed himself and eyed Kageyama. "Fine. Let's go out. Let's go on dates and since you have a bigger salary, you'll be the one paying for everything," Oikawa informed as he crossed his arms with a smirk.

Kageyama didn't speak and only stood still, blinking.

Oikawa watched the younger male and grinned when he saw Kageyama turn red.

"Wha—wha—what was that?! Do you really wanna get fired?!" Kageyama shouted angrily.

Oikawa scowled and stepped forward. "You're the one who asked me out! You should have expected that one of us would lean in for the kiss!" Oikawa retorted.

"That's not what I expected! You should've rejected me!"

"What?! I swallowed my pride that I've held for so long just for you and that's what you tell me?! Oi, before this relationship starts, let's not go out after all!"

"Like hell, I'd allow that!"

"That's what I'm thinking! Don't think you can break up with me easily!"

Kageyama and Oikawa looked away from each other as they huffed in annoyance. Once they were looking different directions, their cheeks were brushed with red and they felt smiles escape their lips. For today, they'd stay awkward but once they got the hang of it, surely they would end up being compatible.

At least, that was what they assumed.

* * *

Hinata noticed something different with Kageyama.

"Oi, isn't Kageyama kinda weird today?" Hinata asked out loud as he placed the plate of egg rolls that he cooked.

"Ohhh, egg rolls. Did Iwa-chan teach you?" Oikawa queried as he took one with his pair of chopsticks.

"Yeah! I learned it quickly," Hinata replied sunnily.

Oikawa smiled at him and nodded. He savored the taste of the food before taking another piece of egg roll and placing it on Kageyama's plate.

"What the... I don't want it," Kageyama said as he tried to push Oikawa's chopstick away.

"For fu—just accept it." Oikawa stopped himself from swearing and put the egg roll on the younger male's plate.

Hinata and Miho, the latter of which had just arrived in the kitchen, observed the two men with amazement. Oikawa and Kageyama weren't fighting. What was the meaning of that? Did the fight get worse or did they finally decide on playing friends? Whatever it was, Hinata and Miho were more than glad that the two former rivals were doing fine. Meanwhile, Sugawara had a plan in mind.

"Oh! Miho forgot the dinosaur outside! Shou-kun, help me get it!" Miho exclaimed loudly. Hinata stood up and decided to accompany Miho outside.

Once the two left, only Kageyama, Oikawa, Tsukishima, and Sugawara were at the kitchen.

As Kageyama ate, he heard his phone ring. He pulled out his phone and saw that his mother was calling. He then excused himself and went away. Now, only the three men were left behind.

Unbeknownst to Oikawa, Sugawara had asked Tsukishima to tell Oikawa something so the blond male downed his glass of water and stared at the brunette with a grim look.

"Actually... I dated Kageyama before."

Oikawa paused on eating and looked at Tsukishima. He swallowed his food for a while before forcing a smile.

"What?" Oikawa queried.

"Yeah. I dated Kageyama when I was in high school so I'm worried about him," Tsukishima said with a smirk, "since I spent time with him, I don't want him to date anyone unworthy."

The brunette clenched his hand and laughed with fakery. "And... what's that supposed to do with me?" Oikawa asked.

"You seem to be getting close to him. If you see someone asking Kageyama out, would you mind telling me?"

Oikawa noticed it. The sentence wasn't a favor. It was more like, Tsukishima was checking if Oikawa would say to him that he'd found someone dating Kageyama. Hearing this, Oikawa leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms.

"If you knew, what would you do?" Oikawa asked.

Tsukishima glanced at Sugawara and heaved a sigh before turning back to Oikawa. "I wouldn't accept it. And I wouldn't be the only one doing something about it. Sugawara-san and Hinata would do something as well. I think you know how Hinata gets when someone close to him gets hurt, right?"

Oikawa froze when he recalled that time when he had accidentally angered Hinata. He shivered and hoped that he wouldn't receive the shorter male's fury ever again. He then stared at Tsukishima and was met with a deadly gaze in return. Fearfully, Oikawa nodded with a strained smile.

"Yeah, sure! I'll tell you when I see someone dating Tobio-chan. You can count on me!" Oikawa raised a thumbs-up before standing up and sneakily heading to Kageyama's room. He quickly locked the door and faced Kageyama who was on the process of hanging up on his mother.

"Tobio-chan, we're dead," Oikawa blurted out.

"What?" Kageyama narrowed his eyes as he shut his phone down.

"Well... we can't tell the others that we're dating. If they know about us, I'll die." The brunette spoke dramatically.

Kageyama didn't understand what Oikawa was saying so he nodded and agreed with what the older male had said. There was one thing that still confused Kageyama though.

"Oikawa-san, I'm pretty sure that no one would kill you in this share house," Kageyama assured.

"No!" Oikawa exclaimed, making Kageyama flinch in surprise. "Your friends... they're really scary, heck, even Shou-chan is scary! If they find out that I'm dating you, they'll probably threaten me so let's not tell them."

"What about Iwaizumi-san?"

"No! Iwa-chan would interrogate me and ask me if I'm serious with you! He's the type of friend that cares more about the person their friend is dating instead of his own friend."

Kageyama groaned at how petty Oikawa was. Why was he even dating him? It had only been a few days since they had started going out and Kageyama felt undeniable annoyance over this new development but still, he sighed and approached the older male.

"Calm down, no one will kill you if we keep it a secret," Kageyama comforted.

Oikawa looked at him and smiled before pulling the younger male in a hug. "Let's go on a date tomorrow. Both of us are free anyway," the brunette informed. He heard a hum of agreement from his partner so Oikawa smiled fondly before tightly embracing Kageyama. He wouldn't have expected that Kageyama Tobio wouldn't mind being physically affectionate with his partner. And surely, no one would've expected that as well. The fact that only Oikawa knew this side of the black-haired setter made him grin in satisfaction.

In actuality, Kageyama couldn't care less if someone was touchy with him. Hinata had done it and Sugawara had done it as well. Having Oikawa as a partner wouldn't be different and the only way Oikawa's actions would differ from the usual physical affection that Hinata and Sugawara had shown him was the fact that the brunette could kiss him if he wanted to.

The two remained close to each other until someone banged on the door. Oikawa shoved Kageyama away and quickly opened the door only to see Iwaizumi outside.

"What the—why are you inside Kageyama's room?" Iwaizumi asked as he buttoned his shirt up.

"Well... we were talking about his schedule," Oikawa lied.

"Why was the door locked then?" Iwaizumi asked.

"Well... was it locked? I didn't know," Oikawa lied.

Kageyama, who was now on the floor after Oikawa had rudely shoved him away, grunted in irritation.

"Oi, Kageyama! Have you seem my neck tie?" Iwaizumi asked as he looked at Kageyama with confusion. Why was the black-haired male on the ground?

"The blue necktie? Miho was playing with it earlier," Kageyama answered.

Iwaizumi clicked his tongue and thanked Kageyama before leaving.

Oikawa watched as his childhood friend left and once he was far away, Oikawa closed and locked the door then rushed to Kageyama. "Tobio-chan, sorry!" he apologized as he helped the male up.

"Tsk! It's fine! I'm not hurt." Kageyama spoke lowly. He took the brunette's hand and pulled himself up. He stared at the brunette with an empty look so Oikawa had to act sweet by cupping the younger male's face with both of his hands.

"I said I'm sorry. Don't get angry, I won't shove you again," Oikawa appeased as he smiled cutely.

Kageyama heaved a sigh and looked away. What had he just entered? Was this a relationship? If it was... Kageyama was fine with it.

"I said I'm fine. Stop worrying." He spoke with a rare soft voice.

The brunette chuckled before leaning closer. "Should we kiss?"

Kageyama looked away, cheeks turning red. He bashfully nodded, amusing Oikawa.

"Look at you, acting coy. It's cute," Oikawa commented before leaning closer but just when he was about to plant a kiss on the younger male's lips, Hinata angrily knocked on the door.

"Kageyama! Come out! You still have food on your plate! What do you think you're doing, wasting food?! Do you even know how much rice and egg is nowadays?! Do you think it costs nothing? Do you think money grows on trees?! Come out and finish your plate, you dumbass!"

Oikawa had to roughly shove Kageyama for the second time before opening the door. Once he did, Hinata stopped and gaped at Oikawa.

"O-Oikawa-san? Why are you inside Kageyama's room?" Hinata questioned before looking at Kageyama who was lying on the ground, looking furious. Hinata gasped as he saw Kageyama glare at him. "Kageyama... what are you doing? If you're sleepy then sleep on your bed," Hinata said, completely misunderstanding the situation.

"Shut up! Get out now!" Kageyama shouted in reply.

* * *

Sugawara glowered at his phone. Just what the heck was his sister saying?

Miho reclaimed her throne as she raised the Brachiosaurus. She laughed like a villain and crossed her arms. Fixing her crown, she pointed at her league of dinosaurs to attack the man in front of her, which was Tsukishima.

"Attack!" Miho shouted passionately as she pushed the car towards the blond.

Tsukishima stared at her indifferently before kicking the car away. Miho shouted as a result.

Sugawara groaned at the noise Miho was making but made no attempt to silence it. He kept his attention on his phone before gazing at Tsukishima guiltily.

"Ah... Tsukishima, do you wanna act like my boyfriend again?" Sugawara asked lamely.

"What? No," was Tsukishima's quick response.

"Come on! Apparently, my sister told my mom about you and now mom wants to meet you!" Sugawara said as he faked a smile. He waited for a response from the blond male and to no surprise, Tsukishima stared at him darkly before pushing his glasses up with his middle finger. Sugawara was so tempted to hit the blond male but he held himself back. He needed Tsukishima to cooperate because if he couldn't do it, Sugawara's mother would force him to meet with one of the woman that his mother paired him with and if there was anything that Sugawara was aware of, it was that he wasn't straight and had no intentions of dating yet.

Sugawara didn't want to date a woman so he stared at Tsukishima pleadingly, swearing not to take his eyes off the blond until he agreed. "Tsukishima, come on! This is the last time so please say yes!" Sugawara begged. He went closer to Tsukishima and held his shoulder. "What do you want? I'll give it to you. Just save me from my mom who wants me to date a woman," Sugawara pleaded.

Tsukishima eyed the older male with nonchalance. Tsukishima didn't really care but since the older male looked desperate, Tsukishima reconsidered it.

"Fine," he said, making Sugawara beam. "When is it and where?"

Sugawara checked his phone and showed it to the blond. He then said, "Tomorrow. We'll have to act like lovers tomorrow at the cafe near the university you attend to."

Tsukishima froze. Tomorrow? At the cafe near the university he attended to? Tsukishima recalled what his brother said and clicked his tongue.

"No. Ask someone else. I don't want to do it," Tsukishima said as he stood up and left but Sugawara held on his wrist to prevent him from leaving.

"You said yes! You can't take it back!" Sugawara tugged on the blond male's wrist while Tsukishima was hesitating.

He glanced at the gray-haired male and wondered if he should say it, say the fact that his older brother was attempting to get back together with Sugawara's sister tomorrow at the cafe near the university Tsukishima went to.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **0 to 100 real quick! I don't like long, dragged romance where the couple thinks about this and that. Sure, it adds to the tension but I'm not fond of using it. I would rather change the plot than to make the typical love plot. But yeah! Someone's dating and I hope you're cool with it :))) Soon enough, another pairing would appear and when that time comes, please be cool with it.**

 **Anyway , thanks~~~**


	13. Got The Wrong Timing

Hinata wore the helmet and took a deep breath as he fixed the impromptu skateboard. Oikawa stood meters away from him and was raising a flag when Hinata cheered for himself.

"Lezgo!" Hinata shouted as he pumped his fist in the air before he laid himself down on the homemade skateboard that was actually just some wide plywood with four wheels under it. Hinata balanced himself and waited for Oikawa to raise the flag.

The brunette stared intensely at Hinata before dramatically raising the flag and shouting, "Go!" in English.

Hinata pushed himself and let the self-made skateboard slide on the floor and towards Oikawa.

"Whoaaaaaaa!" Hinata shouted as he rolled towards Oikawa.

The two men were in the corridor and therefore blocking the way of the others who wanted to go to the kitchen. Namely Kageyama and Iwaizumi who were watching the two play with their so-called skateboard.

Once Hinata was near Oikawa, he stood up and raised the skateboard with him. Hinata jumped energetically as Oikawa clapped with satisfaction.

"I told you! It would work! We have a skateboard now!" Oikawa spoke excitedly as he took the plywood.

Hinata eagerly gave it to the brunette and beamed at him before saying, "Try it! It's fun!"

"Okay! Lezgo! Come on!" Oikawa yelled in English.

Hinata copied the older male and cheered for him. He held the flag and watched as Oikawa down the corridor and laid on the plywood. Hinata dramatically waved the flag and Oikawa looked like he was competing in the Olympics with how serious he looked. The brunette carefully watched the ginger wave the flag and patiently waited for Hinata to raise the flag so he could start sliding.

Hinata then raised the flag and cried in English, "Goooo!"

Oikawa slid on the floor and shouted on top of his lungs as he felt the air pass by him.

Kageyama then kicked Oikawa off the impromptu skateboard.

Hinata froze while Oikawa stayed on the ground, face first. The two childish men remained frozen before Iwaizumi walked to the kitchen and grabbed the flag that Hinata held.

"What the hell are you two doing? You're making so much noise so early in the morning." Iwaizumi scolded as he stared at the flag. He narrowed his eyes and saw that the piece of cotton was actually a handkerchief while the stick of the flag was just a ruler. Iwaizumi stared at Hinata and saw the younger male smiling sheepishly. Iwaizumi acted like he was about to hit the ginger with the flag but when Hinata dodged, Iwaizumi brought the flag down and sighed exasperatedly.

"God, both of you are legal adults. When will you start acting like it?" Iwaizumi said before heading to the kitchen. Kageyama, on the other hand, eyed Oikawa who still hadn't moved.

"Oikawa-san, stand up." Kageyama spoke calmly.

Oikawa didn't move.

Kageyama grunted and lowered himself before pulling the brunette up. Oikawa faced Kageyama and smiled playfully before tugging on the younger male's collar and pulling him down in an attempt to steal a kiss. Kageyama gazed at the brunette for a while before holding Oikawa's hand and kissing the brunette's forehead instead of his lips.

"Stand up. Come on, we'll be late." Kageyama insisted so Oikawa sulked and stayed down. Kageyama stared at the older male and said, "After work, let's eat outside."

Oikawa immediately sat up and faced Kageyama but in the corner of his eyes, he caught someone staring.

Kageyama looked behind him as a result and saw Hinata with Miho, who had just woken up. The four went silent. Hinata and Miho had seen what happened earlier but they were too confused to understand it. Kageyama and Oikawa knew that the two witnessed it so they felt nervous and prayed that Hinata and Miho would act dumb and forget about it.

"Ahem—" Hinata faked a cough— "wow! Oikawa-san and Kageyama are close, huh? I didn't expect that! Come on, Miho-chan!" said Hinata as he pulled the young girl to the kitchen. Miho kept her scrutinizing gaze towards the two men in the corridor and made a gesture that said "I'm watching you."

Oikawa and Kageyama gulped as a result before they stood up and headed to the kitchen as well.

Sugawara and Tsukishima were currently walking to the cafe near Tsukishima's university. They walked in silence as they wondered about what they'd do in front of Sugawara's mother, Kayo.

 _"Ahhh, this is bad. This is really bad. If mom decides that she likes Tsukishima, he'll get roped in even further. Mom would keep asking for him and I'd be forced to keep acting like I'm going out with him. Damn it, why didn't I think of this carefully? I hope mom doesn't like Tsukishima,"_ Sugawara thought to himself.

 _"Tsk! At this rate, Sugawara-san would mess up my brother's plan to get back together with Sugawara-san's sister. I have to stop him from interrupting my brother and get my brother to explain his situation to Fuyumi-san so they can get back together... but honestly, I just want to abandon all of this and sleep. I'm so tired,"_ Tsukishima internally ranted about his situation.

The two were near the cafe so they took a deep breath before going inside. Once they were inside, Sugawara saw his mother so he waved with a fond smile. Tsukishima, on the other hand, instantly caught a glimpse of his brother with Fuyumi. Tsukishima looked at Sugawara and went to the table where he sat. Tsukishima politely nodded at Kayo and greeted her. Kayo smiled softly as she motioned for the two men to sit down. Tsukishima stared at Sugawara and stopped him from sitting down.

"You can sit with your mother," Tsukishima said.

"Eh? Why?" Sugawara queried.

"She's your mother so you should accompany her so she won't be lonely." Tsukishima lied and in some way, Kayo was stunned.

 _"This kid... he seems like a family-devoted son. To top it off, I've heard from Fuyumi that he's studying to be a doctor and undoubtedly, he already looks like one. I'm so proud of Koushi,"_ Kayo thought as she observed the blond male. She smiled after and nodded in full support.

In actuality, Tsukishima didn't really want to make a good impression, he just wanted Sugawara to sit with his mother because Akiteru and Fuyumi were coincidentally ten seats behind the mother and son. Tsukishima had to do it so Sugawara wouldn't notice his older brother.

Sugawara chose to sit down beside his mother. He gazed at Tsukishima and hoped that the blond male had purposely done that to mess this meeting up somehow, so Sugawara wouldn't have to drag the blond with him because his family assumed that they were together. Tsukishima, on the other hand, sneakily observed Akiteru and Fuyumi.

Fuyumi seemed to have her arms crossed as Akiteru explained something that Tsukishima couldn't hear.

"So... how long have you two been dating? Koushi never told me about you." Kayo spoke softly before taking a sip of her drink.

Tsukishima was opening his mouth to speak when he heard Fuyumi slam her palm on the table as she loudly said, "Why did you leave then?"

Sugawara and his mother heard the familiar voice so they turned around so Tsukishima knew that he had to do something.

"Ahem!" The blond faked a cough loudly, earning the attention of the two people in front of him. "We've been dating for nine years."

Kayo covered her mouth and gasped. She counted the years and said, "You've been dating Koushi ever since he was... in his third year of high school?"

Tsukishima nodded, satisfied that he'd made the two avoid seeing his brother and Fuyumi.

"But weren't you a first year at that time? How is that possible?" Kayo questioned as she mused about how young her son and Tsukishima were when they started dating. She suddenly had a question in mind so she asked, "Since you and Koushi dated for nine years, I'm sure you've thought about marriage at some point?"

Sugawara coughed and cursed under his breath. Forget about Tsukishima messing up, Sugawara regretted the decision he had made and thought about how he should've lied that the blond male suddenly died because of a random accident or something. Anything to stop what was happening now. Sugawara observed his mother and swore that he saw a hopeful glint in her eyes. Sugawara knew it. He had no chance of explaining everything to his mother.

Tsukishima thought about what he would say and as he was thinking, Fuyumi stood up and was about to storm off when Akiteru held her hand.

"No, listen to me! I didn't wanna leave you!" Akiteru exclaimed as Fuyumi sobbed.

 _"What are they doing? This isn't a drama, why are they acting so dramatic?"_ Tsukishima thought to himself. He caught a glimpse of Kayo and Sugawara about to turn around so the blond male slammed his palm on the table resulting for the mother and son to look at him with stun.

With a sharp inhale, Tsukishima said "Of course, I plan on marrying Suga – Koushi-san."

Kayo gasped while Sugawara felt himself have a small mental breakdown.

 _"Tsukishima! What are you doing?! Stop trying to win my mother's approval! She's gonna end up forcing you to marry me!"_ Sugawara shouted internally.

Kayo beamed and opened her mouth to say, "But... both of you are men. Would you go to America for your marriage? Would you go that far?"

Tsukishima gulped and realized how he had just dug his own grave. He glanced briefly at Sugawara only to see the older male glowering at him. The blond male was in the process of saying an answer that was rather disappointing until Fuyumi shouted something.

"I was hurt and you weren't there! How do you think that made me feel?"

 _"Those two... are they really causing drama in public?"_ Tsukishima mused begrudgingly. The two people in front of him were about to turn around again so the blond male swallowed his pride and readied himself for the most ridiculous declaration he would ever make.

"I love Koushi-san and I would do anything for him. Please let me get married to him." Tsukishima bowed to Kayo, who gaped at him.

 _"No! Tsukishima, what have you done?! Why are you doing this?!"_ Sugawara thought in agony.

"Oh my... wow... you're unbelievably serious... Oh gosh, this is just so... okay, I approve. Please take care of Koushi and never let him be sad, okay? Tell me when you two would get married and I'll help you." Kayo gave her approval, much to Tsukishima and Sugawara's dismay.

They wished that she could've said no, that way they would be able to sleep peacefully but no! Kayo made the decision to agree and now, Tsukishima pondered over this choice. Had he made the right decision? Tsukishima didn't know but all he was aware of was the fact that he had just unfortunately received Sugawara's mother's approval to marry the ashen-haired male. "What a great achievement," Tsukishima thought sarcastically.

"I'll be leaving you two then. Tsukishima Kei-kun, please take care of Koushi." Kayo smiled softly before walking out of the cafe, leaving Sugawara and Tsukishima mentally exhausted.

The two stayed silent until Sugawara sinisterly stared at the blond male.

"I would get angry at you but for now, there's something I need to do." Sugawara spoke as he pushed himself up and turned around, much to Tsukishima's shock. Sugawara rushed to his sister's side and pulled his sister away from the male.

"You... what are you doing? Didn't I say to stay away from my sister?" Sugawara said threateningly. Akiteru stepped away before shaking his head.

"No. I love your sister and I didn't want to leave her. I could accept that I wasn't going to get her back but she at least need to hear me out." Akiteru spoke seriously.

Sugawara glared before motioning the older male to explain his situation.

Tsukishima, who was more than tired, simply watched the three talk it out. He hoped that his brother would get the girl in the end. That would at least made his efforts just now useful. If he didn't, Tsukishima would make sure that Akiteru paid in full for the futile efforts that Tsukishima had made in an attempt to save the two exes from an early interruption.

* * *

Oikawa felt frightened. Not only had Tsukishima been glaring at him for the past three days, Sugawara had as well. The brunette assumed that the two had figured out that Oikawa was going out with Kageyama so Oikawa was more than scared.

In truth, Tsukishima and Sugawara were just irritated by the meeting that occurred between them and Kayo. Tsukishima knew that he'd have a hard time getting out of the situation he had dug himself into while Sugawara had a hard time accepting that his older sister had decided to go out with Akiteru again. The two males were frustrated and somehow, they ended up glaring off into the distance and coincidentally, Oikawa was in front of them every breakfast so the brunette wrongly assumed that they were glowering at him.

"You guys aren't going to work today?" Hinata asked as he placed Miho's lunchbox inside her bag.

"Oikawa-san and I will leave later," Kageyama informed calmly.

"I'll be going to work!" Iwaizumi spoke loudly before heading out when Hinata called out to him. The man stopped and faced the orange-haired male with a confused expression.

"I made bento. Do you want to bring some to work?" Hinata asked with a small smile.

The statement snapped both Sugawara and Tsukishima out of their frustration and made Oikawa grin slyly.

"Shou-chan, why only Iwa-chan? What about us?" Oikawa teased as he smirked at Iwaizumi.

"I ended up making extra food for one person! I thought I had the recipe memorized but I accidentally made an extra serving for each food right so I decided to give it to Iwaizumi-san since he works hard!" Hinata explained in his usual lively manner.

"Hmm... sure Hinata," Sugawara spoke teasingly as he took another bite of his food.

Hinata chuckled sheepishly before glancing at Iwaizumi and asking, "So? Do you want to bring some?"

Iwaizumi glared at Oikawa to stop him from saying something before looking at Hinata and nodding.

Hinata grinned cheerily before handing the lunchbox. "Be careful out there! Bye!" The younger male waved so Iwaizumi lamely bowed before exiting the share house.

Once he was outside, he closed the door behind him and stared at the lunchbox in his hand. "He actually gave me this," Iwaizumi muttered as he smiled with flushed cheeks. "Yes!" he whispered as if Hinata giving him something to eat was an accomplishment. Iwaizumi pumped his fist lowly before heading to his workplace. He kept a small smile as he marched his way to his work.

On the other hand, Hinata was eating peacefully when Oikawa and Sugawara decided to team up on him and question his actions.

"Shou-chan, aren't you very different when it comes to Iwa-chan? Isn't that what they call—" Oikawa paused— "special treatment?"

Hinata froze before he shook his head and explained his side. "Of course not! It's just that... Iwaizumi-san is very confusing. He can be kind and doting then be brash and angry a second later. I thought I should treat him like Kageyama but since Iwaizumi-san's older than me, I didn't feel like that was appropriate," Hinata said.

"Wow, you matured Hinata. You've become cool," Sugawara complimented, making Hinata blush as he munched on his food.

"Heh, did I? I'm still me." Hinata rubbed the back of his neck while bashfully smiling.

Oikawa thought this was cute so he chuckled and mused about his childhood friend. When would Iwaizumi confess? Oikawa was eager to know the outcome.

After breakfast, the group went their separate ways. They worked (studied in Tsukishima's case) hard and kept busy until the day came to an end and they went home eager to sit back on the couch and rest.

Iwaizumi, on the other hand, was eager to go home. His day at work had been rather laid back and for once he was leaving with a decent amount of energy. It was a good thing since today he had a plan for what he'd do when he got back to the share house. As he left the office building, his phone began to ring and when he checked it, he saw it was Oikawa. Clicking his tongue, he picked up the call.

"Iwa-chan! Bring something home!" Oikawa whined in the usual manner.

Iwaizumi tightened his grip on his phone and ignored his friend's statement, realizing he might as well check to see if his plan was going to work. "Oikawa, is Hinata there?" Iwaizumi questioned.

"Yeah. Why? Are you gonna confess to him on the phone?" Oikawa retorted.

"What? No! Not on the phone, later in person."

The line went silent for three complete seconds until Oikawa started his rant.

"What?! Later? Iwa-chan, are you serious?! You can't be... argh! Tobio-chan, I got something to tell you! Come here in my room!" Oikawa was heard shouting as the sound of rushed footsteps was heard in the background. The sound of the door creaking and slamming closed confused Iwaizumi.

"Tobio-chan, Iwa-chan was planning on confessing now! Can you believe that?!" Oikawa said and Iwaizumi felt irritated when the brunette easily blurted out the information that Iwaizumi hadn't really wanted anyone to know. But he should've expected this since it was Oikawa so Iwaizumi hoped that Kageyama wouldn't make the decision to say it to anyone else.

"Huh? Iwaizumi-san, now? Where is he?" Kageyama's voice was audible but not loud.

"Iwa-chan, where are you?" Oikawa asked.

"I'm nearing the house. I just passed by the bar where Hinata works," Iwaizumi answered.

"He's close. Tell Shou-chan to wait outside!" Oikawa told Kageyama.

Afterwards, Iwaizumi heard the sound of the door creaking open and Kageyama loudly yelling Hinata's name. Iwaizumi chuckled at unconcerned tone of voice that Kageyama had. It was just a few weeks ago that Hinata was being guarded by Kageyama yet now, Iwaizumi had the unusual support of the black-haired male. Iwaizumi showed a small smirk of amusement.

Iwaizumi kept listening until Oikawa suddenly hung up on him. Iwaizumi stared at his phone with a baffled look before shrugging it off. He rushed to the share house and once he was near the place, he saw Hinata coming out the door.

"Hinata!" he called out before he drew near her. Hinata looked at Iwaizumi with uncertainty.

"Iwaizumi-san... I—"

"I need to tell you something important." Iwaizumi grabbed Hinata's shoulders and smiled gently.

Hinata gulped and gazed at his wristwatch before looking at Iwaizumi with sadness. "I'm sorry but," Hinata suddenly apologized, "whatever you're about to say isn't important to me right now."

Iwaizumi's smile turned into a frown once he heard that.

Hinata heaved a sigh and pushed the male off before bowing lowly. "Excuse me. I need to go," Hinata said before raising his head and staring at the older male guiltily.

"Hinata... what I'll say... isn't important to you, is that what you're saying?" Iwaizumi asked for clarification.

Hinata clenched his hand before nodding. "I'm really sorry! I don't wanna hear what you'll say right now. Say it to me some other time, okay? I'll be going then," Hinata said hastily before rushing away, leaving Iwaizumi standing in front of the share house with a stunned and gloomy expression.

After a while, Iwaizumi chuckled lamely before he entered the house sluggishly.

Oikawa and Kageyama welcomed him but when they saw the male's expression, they frowned.

Iwaizumi headed to his room and Oikawa as well as Kageyama trailed behind him.

"Iwaizumi-san...what did Hinata say?" Kageyama asked.

Oikawa glanced at the younger male and wondered if he should really be asking that.

"He said that whatever I was going to say isn't important to him." Iwaizumi spoke solemnly as he leaned on his bed.

"Iwa-chan... Shou-chan's sister called through Tobio-chan's phone. Apparently, Shou-chan's mom was sent to the ER, that's why you're not important to him right now, neither are any of us in the share house," Oikawa informed. "Don't get yourself down because of it. Shou-chan was just extremely worried about his mom that's why he said that."

Iwaizumi stared at Oikawa and Kageyama before he sighed.

"You two...you're dating, aren't you?"

The two froze when they heard that.

Iwaizumi smirked when he saw the reaction. "I noticed it but I won't tell anyone. You're secret's safe with me." He spoke lowly before he said, "And about the failed confession... I chose the wrong time so I'll just try some other time."

Oikawa chuckled at this and nodded. "You should. It's unexpected for Shou-chan to say something that sounds like a brutal rejection. I'm sure he didn't mean it, right Tobio-chan?" He glanced at Kageyama, who had a serious look.

"Uh... yeah. That dumbass wouldn't be like that." Kageyama spoke with a level of uncertainty. He knew the orange-haired male. If Hinata liked someone, then he'd spare time for them no matter how much he was needed by someone else. Hearing what Iwaizumi said, Kageyama couldn't help the thought that maybe, Hinata had no interest in dating at the moment. Still, Kageyama couldn't say that. He knew how serious Iwaizumi looked like and Oikawa was there as well. It would be better if Kageyama just offered his support.

"Wait, Kageyama why did Hinata have to use your—" Iwaizumi mentally kicked himself as he realized. Both he and Kageyama were the reason that Hinata didn't have a phone. Frustrated, he resolved to make things right.

* * *

After a few days in Miyagi, Hinata returned back to the share house. He had a bag of exotic foods from Miyagi that would be given to his housemates. Hinata recalled his mother's condition and sighed heavily. How would he pay for that? His father had accumulated lots of debts for when Hinata's mother had difficulties giving birth as well as her frequent illnesses. Hinata had to pay all of that debt as well as his sister's education. He needed time before he could pay for his mother's open-heart surgery as well.

Hinata tapped his pocket for his phone but when he didn't feel it, he groaned at the memory of what happened. His phone, which Kageyama and Iwaizumi had broken, didn't work anymore so Hinata was forced to throw it away.

As he came up to the share house, he covered his face before groaning. What should he do? He needed a phone but he couldn't use any money for a while. He had to save for his mother.

"Hinata?"

The orange-haired male flinched at the voice and lowered his hands before staring in front of him. It was Iwaizumi with a small paper bag in his hands.

"Oh... Iwaizumi-san." Hinata bowed lowly as he stood awkwardly. He recalled that he had said something harsh to the older male and Hinata cringed at the memory.

"You finally came back, huh? How's your mom?" Iwaizumi questioned calmly.

"She's fine! She just had a stroke so she was sent to the ER," Hinata assured sheepishly. "You were about to say something to me three days ago! You can tell it to me now…if you still want to, that is," he said with a smile.

Iwaizumi observed the male and noticed that he still looked troubled. He recalled what Kageyama had said to him before and instantly, Iwaizumi felt himself step back.

 _"I might not look like it... but I'm worried for him. If you're not serious with him, then don't even try in the first place... Hinata has a lot of things to worry about, so don't add yourself to that list. You're not welcome."_

"I just," Iwaizumi started, noticing the look on Hinata's face, "I was just worried about you. You suddenly came running out of the house and you seemed really troubled so I wanted to ask if you were fine." He lied.

"Ohhh... you were worried, huh?" Hinata mused out loud before he grinned at Iwaizumi and stepped closer to him. "I'm fine now! Mom is alright so don't worry about me! Worry about your work instead but not so much that you get stressed!" He spoke cheerily, as if he hadn't been distressed earlier at all.

Iwaizumi nodded as he motioned for Hinata to enter the house. The two men went inside and found no one in the corridor. The doors to the rooms were all closed so Hinata assumed that the others were inside their rooms. They went to the living room and sat down on the couch. Hinata sprawled himself out and relaxed. He wanted to sleep his worries off and wake up with a clear mind but whenever he did that, Hinata would only wake up with more problems so he decided to stay awake and simply gazed at the ceiling.

"Here, take it."

Hinata glanced at Iwaizumi and saw that Iwaizumi was giving the small bag that he had been carrying earlier. Hinata blinked and shook his head politely.

"It's yours. I don't need it," Hinata said even though he didn't know what it was.

Iwaizumi smirked as he pulled the object out and showed it. "It's a phone. Kageyama told me your sister had to call him since your phone didn't work anymore, and I felt responsible as the one who broke it in the first place," Iwaizumi explained leaving Hinata speechless.

He took the phone with hesitation. He observed the phone and saw that it was the newest model. Hinata gazed at Iwaizumi and recalled what he brutally blurted out towards the older male. "Iwaizumi-san... even though I said something bad... honestly, you didn't have to..." Hinata muttered with a shaky smile and grateful eyes.

"Shut it. I didn't do this to please you. I bought it so you could stop bothering others." Iwaizumi lied and looked away.

Hinata was used to Kageyama and Tsukishima acting like complete tsunderes so Hinata nodded and understood what the older male meant. "But... this is the newest model though," Hinata said as he awed at how expensive the phone was.

"Get over it. It wasn't that much." Iwaizumi brushed it off and leaned on the couch.

Hinata kept his gaze towards Iwaizumi and felt himself tearing up. "But, why are you suddenly kind to me? You're making me feel bad." Hinata spoke as he sniffed.

Iwaizumi turned to him and gawked when he saw the ginger crying.

Hinata suddenly leaned forward and hugged the older male, stunning Iwaizumi. "Thank you, thank you! I really needed a phone right now! You're a life-saver!" Hinata thanked gratefully.

Iwaizumi gulped and felt his cheeks warming up. He carefully patted Hinata's back and noticed how small the male was compared to him. Hinata then pulled away and when Iwaizumi saw that Hinata was full-blown crying, he groaned.

"Why are you crying?! Cut it out and stop crying so easily!" Iwaizumi scolded as he fished for his unused handkerchief. He pulled it out and gave it to Hinata, who accepted it and used it to wipe his eyes and nose.

"Oi! Why is Hinata crying?!" Kageyama's voice was heard, making Iwaizumi wince.

"What the – Iwaizumi, you made Hinata cry? Are you serious?" Sugawara added as he scoffed with disbelief.

Tsukishima crossed his arms and leered at Iwaizumi while Oikawa and Miho watched the scene unsurely. Before the situation could get out of hand, Hinata raised the phone and showed it to everybody.

"Iwaizumi-san bought this for me! I'm just really thankful!" Hinata assured as he smiled brightly. He stared at the phone again and felt his eyes brimming with new tears so he glanced at Iwaizumi before hugging him again and crying his thanks out.

Oikawa gasped at this and smiled while Sugawara smirked. Kageyama shouted in disapproval as he felt irritated that Iwaizumi made Hinata cry while Tsukishima and Miho went back to play with the dinosaurs.

Meanwhile, Iwaizumi didn't know if he was happy or terrified. Nonetheless, it was undeniable that he was blushing madly.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **You thought! I wanna write a romance that isn't gonna be like any other. I also want to make it as different from the other pairings :)) Anyway, it seems like SugaTsukki would get married. What do you think? Will there be chemistry between them or nah? And will Iwa be able to confess for real or nah? Find out next time ~(*v*)~**


	14. Brutal Attack

"Whether we're in public or in private, we can't act like a couple... great," Oikawa mumbled sadly as he laid lethargically on Kageyama's bed.

"Fine, let's go out today." Kageyama crossed his arms and waited for the brunette to stand up.

"Really? You'll pay for everything, right?" Oikawa spoke with a playful smirk.

"Yeah. Stand up."

"Okay! Lezgo!" Oikawa pushed himself up and went to his room to change clothes.

Kageyama watched the older male excitedly march to his room while he hid his smile. After a bit, the two were dressed and ready to go out. Kageyama checked his wallet while Oikawa checked his phone's battery percentage as they headed out the door.

"Tobio-chan, let's take a picture to—"

"No."

Oikawa clicked his tongue when he heard the younger male's immediate refusal but after a few seconds, he smiled once he realized that he got to be with Kageyama for the whole day without anyone glaring at him, specifically a gray-haired male and a blond man. The brunette sighed in relief before inching closer to the younger male.

Kageyama noticed this but paid no heed and kept walking. They kept trotting to the mall but when they passed by a restaurant, Oikawa halted and held on Kageyama's wrist to stop him.

"Ah, should we eat?" Oikawa asked softly.

Kageyama observed the restaurant before nodding.

Once he had an answer, Oikawa held his hand out to the younger male with a soft smile playing on his lips. Kageyama hesitated and looked around before accepting the hand and holding it tightly. The brunette chuckled in amusement before pulling Kageyama along and heading into the restaurant. The two kept a comfortable silence between them as they held hands. Oikawa could feel himself humming a small song but when he saw four familiar people, the brunette halted.

It was Hinata, Miho, Sugawara, and Tsukishima.

"Damn it, what are they doing here?" Oikawa mused to himself.

Hinata walked in a lively manner but when he accidentally glanced at Oikawa and Kageyama, he gaped and pointed at the two of them.

Oikawa pushed Kageyama aside and waved at Hinata with a strained smile.

Kageyama scoffed and stared at his hand before cussing under his breath. He glared at the orange-haired male and exuded a dark aura as Hinata came closer to them.

Sugawara, Miho, and Tsukishima watched Kageyama carefully before approaching him.

"Oh? Shou-chan! Why are you here?" Oikawa asked, feigning surprise.

"Since we're free, we decided to go out together," Hinata eagerly answered as he glanced briefly at Kageyama. The ginger gulped when he caught Kageyama glaring at him.

"That's great! You guys are bonding! Good! You can go now! We have work to do and we need to meet with someone inside the restaurant!" Oikawa lied.

"Really?! We're going inside the restaurant as well! We'll go with you!" Hinata enthusiastically informed. Oikawa bit his tongue and quickly pulled his phone out.

"No way—" Oikawa faked a gasp as he checked his phone— "seems like we won't need to wait for that person in the restaurant! He cancelled the meeting!"

Kageyama narrowed his eyes at Oikawa and wondered what the hell he was doing. Kageyama's attention shifted from Oikawa to Sugawara and saw the smirk that the gray-haired male wore. Kageyama raised an eyebrow before he looked back at the brunette.

"Tobio-chan, we need to go somewhere else! We have to meet them at the park!" Oikawa declared as he pulled Kageyama by the collar instead of the wrist.

Kageyama grunted in irritation and sent one last glare at Hinata before trailing behind the brunette. Once the two male were far away from the others, Oikawa stopped pulling on Kageyama's collar and looked at him with worry.

"I pushed you too hard, didn't I?" Oikawa queried.

"You did."

Oikawa grumbled and sulked. "Why were they here anyway?! Those stupid... argh!" Oikawa whined in annoyance as he stomped off toward the park. After a few seconds, Oikawa turned to face Kageyama with an excited look.

"Let's not go to the park. Let's go to an amusement park instead," the brunette suggested.

"You're gonna make me pay for everything," Kageyama retorted.

"No! I'll pay for it!" Oikawa retaliated as he showed his wallet full of cash.

Kageyama heaved a sigh before looking around. When he saw no one who seemed to recognize him or people who he recognized, Kageyama took the brunette's hand and grasped it tightly before walking ahead.

Oikawa bit his lower lip to avoid smiling too much and walked beside Kageyama.

"Whoa, Tobio-chan's taking the lead. You like me that much, huh?" Oikawa teased.

"Yeah, I do." Kageyama nonchalantly answered causing the brunette to blush before chuckling sheepishly.

"What the—don't agree so easily!" he exclaimed as he covered his flushed face.

Kageyama looked away and hid his smirk. Too bad, Oikawa noticed it.

"Oi! You're smirking! I saw that!"

"I wasn't."

"Yeah, you were!"

The two kept light-heartedly bickering as they made their way to the amusement park. When they arrived at the amusement park, they discovered a crowd so Oikawa gave Kageyama a mask to cover his face with. Kageyama pushed it away and kept walking without a care as he took the lead.

Oikawa pulled his phone out then aimed at the man in front of him while fixing the camera. Oikawa waited for him to turn around and when Kageyama did, Oikawa snapped a picture and checked the photo. Seeing that he took a good photo, Oikawa smiled with satisfaction.

"What was that? Let me see." Kageyama tried to reach and grab the phone but Oikawa leaned away and shook his head with a mischievous smirk as he raised his phone so Kageyama wouldn't be able to reach it.

Oikawa raised his head to look at the photo one more time. In the photo taken, as the crowd rushed by in a blur and the colorful amusement rides were set as the background, Kageyama was in the center of the picture and was looking back at the camera while holding the brunette's hand. Oikawa smirked and put the photo in his favorite album. He would have to make a new album for only Kageyama soon.

"Stop trying to grab my phone, Tobio-chan!" Oikawa whined as he pushed the younger male away so he could put his phone inside his pocket.

Kageyama pulled away and watched as Oikawa pushed his phone inside his pocket, grumbling something about Oikawa being too stingy.

* * *

Kageyama stomped his way home with Oikawa trailing behind him. Something bad had happened and now Oikawa couldn't diffuse the younger male's anger.

After they had taken a ride on the Ferris wheel, the two decided to take a break. They went to a bench and rested for a while. The two males were at peace for a while and at that time, Oikawa knew that the moment was right so he leaned in for a kiss.

The sky was dark and surely, he had thought, no one would notice them but somehow, Kageyama was recognized. At that moment, Kageyama understood why they couldn't proceed but still, how many times would he put up with getting shoved away by Oikawa?

Kageyama understood that they couldn't act like a couple in public so he let it be, but what he couldn't put his mind around was why they couldn't do it in private and because of this, the confusion angered Kageyama even more.

So the two kept quiet and once they reached the share house, instead of heading to the living room, they both entered Kageyama's room. Kageyama quickly locked it and glowered at Oikawa.

"Oikawa-san...can we tell Hinata?" Kageyama grilled.

Oikawa smiled lamely before he shook his head.

"Sugawara-san?" Kageyama asked.

"No," Oikawa answered.

"Uh... Tsukishima?"

"No! Like hell, I'd tell him!"

The sudden reaction made Kageyama wince. He thought about it for a while before he crossed his arms.

"Do you really not want to tell anyone? Iwaizumi-san knows so the others should know as well," he said.

"Listen, Tobio-chan. If your friends find out, they'll kill me," Oikawa uttered, much to Kageyama's irritation.

"Do you only care about yourself? No one would kill you here and if they do, they have to get past me first!" Kageyama yelled in annoyance and unlocked the door before opening it angrily.

Oikawa was aware that he had angered the younger male so he stood firmly in his place and didn't move.

"What are you doing? Get out." Kageyama said.

"No," Oikawa denied.

"Do you wanna break-up?"

"Okay, I'll get out."

Kageyama watched as the brunette went out of his room. He stood in front of the door as Kageyama held the door with a frustrated look.

"Don't enter my room unless you tell the others that we're dating." With that said, Kageyama slammed the door and locked it.

Oikawa eyed the door emptily for a second before he groaned and punched then kicked the air. He was annoyed as well but he couldn't just tell any of this to Sugawara and especially not Tsukishima. Oikawa had accidentally found out that the blond was Kageyama's former lover so Oikawa didn't want to tell. What if it caused trouble?

Oikawa knocked on the door thrice but got no answer. He glared at the door before he tramped his way to the living room where the others were resting.

"Suga! Tsukki!" Oikawa yelled.

Sugawara and Tsukishima turned to him with puzzled expressions.

Oikawa stared daggers at them before pointing to them. "Who Tobio-chan dates isn't your problem so let him date anyone! Even if you deem them unworthy!"

The two males eyed the brunette with blank looks. They knew what he was talking about but they didn't understand why Oikawa was saying that. Tsukishima dropped his book and looked at the brunette sharply.

"Why? Are you dating him?" queried Tsukishima.

Oikawa froze and observed the two men's faces. He gulped and shook his head fervently before saying, "No! Why would I date him? For me, Tobio-chan is still the same middle-school brat who kept annoying me!"

"Really? Is that what I am?" Kageyama, who went out of his room to grab a drink, blurted out disappointedly.

Oikawa's soul escaped his body when he heard that voice. He turned around and saw Kageyama with a deadly expression. The brunette chuckled and shook his head.

"Kageyama, are you dating anyone?" Tsukishima asked indifferently.

Oikawa gleamed at the blond before he observed Kageyama.

"No, I'm not dating anyone. I don't remember dating anyone," Kageyama said with spitefulness.

Oikawa clenched his fist and tried to control his anger.

Kageyama continued, "I don't recall dating anyone who's childish, only thinks about himself, is easily insecure, is too needy, acts like an annoying dog, doesn't mind flirting with others even though he has a boyfriend, and—"

"Tobio-chan! I don't flirt with anyone except you!" Oikawa denied loudly.

Kageyama stepped forward and stared threateningly at Oikawa. "Yeah, you do! Earlier while I was getting asked by a fan if I had something to do later you were out flirting with another girl!"

"She was just asking for directions!"

"If she was, then she wouldn't have acted cute! Why were you even complimenting her?! Is that 'just asking for directions', huh?!"

"Wow... wow! Tobio-chan you're telling me that I get insecure too easily but look at you! You're insecure as well!"

"Shut up!"

"No, you shut up!"

Sugawara and Tsukishima watched with amusement. They held their chuckles by covering their mouths. In truth, Tsukishima didn't date Kageyama. It was Sugawara who wanted Tsukishima to act like he dated Kageyama before, even though they didn't, just so he could scare Oikawa. After all, what better way to find out if someone was serious with someone other than scaring them? Besides, Sugawara and Tsukishima enjoyed seeing Oikawa scared and panicky.

"Should we just break up? Should we?!" Kageyama asked heatedly.

"You're asking me?! Are you serious! Fine! Let's break up! You're not cute anyway!" Oikawa shouted back.

Sugawara slammed his palm on the coffee table earning everyone's attention.

Oikawa and Kageyama gawked at what Sugawara did and saw him eyeing them dangerously.

"What was that? Break up? Right in front of us? In front of me?" Sugawara blurted out darkly. He eyed Oikawa and Kageyama with unkindness before saying, "If you two break up... I'll make sure to shave all of your hair, understood? Now what were you two doing? Were you two... breaking up?"

Oikawa and Kageyama felt a chill run down their spine as they fervently shook their heads.

"No, it was just a simple misunderstanding that lovers frequently have. Don't worry." Oikawa assured inelegantly.

"Lover's spat?" Sugawara uttered, "Like heck that was a lover's spat! You two wanted to break up, didn't you?!" Sugawara stood up and grabbed a pillow while Oikawa and Kageyama backed away and readied themselves to run away from the ashen-haired male.

"Come here! Sit on the couch! I'll lecture you about managing your relationship properly! Come here. Now!" Sugawara shouted before he chased after the two, who were running away in fear of the gray-haired male.

Tsukishima snickered as he watched the three run around the house. He put his earphones in and ignored the noise the others were creating before he went back to reading his watched the two men beside him.

* * *

"Why are you two going home with me?" Iwaizumi asked. Oikawa smirked at him while Kageyama sipped on a box of milk.

"Because we saw you going home by yourself. We decided to accompany you!" Oikawa exclaimed.

"Shut up. I don't have any intention of being a third-wheel," Iwaizumi snapped and kept walking. He ignored his childhood friend and walked ahead. He glanced at his watch and saw that it was four in the afternoon. At this rate, Iwaizumi could still spend a little time with Hinata before the shorter male went to work.

"Iwa-chan, when are you going to confess?" Oikawa suddenly questioned.

"I don't know... I could confess anytime now," Iwaizumi answered mindlessly.

"Then confess now," Kageyama suggested.

"Hmm... okay," Iwaizumi replied thoughtlessly. He stopped once he realized that the two men behind him were teasing him. He turned around and saw the two men running away from him as they laughed at him. Iwaizumi groaned at the two and shook his head in disapproval.

If Kageyama kept hanging out with Oikawa, he might end up becoming immature. Iwaizumi felt worried but pushed it away and walked home.

As he observed the daily scenery on his way back to the share house, Iwaizumi mused about what Kageyama suggested. He then shook his head and pushed it away. He couldn't do that now. Not when Hinata had a problem. Nodding his head in agreement with his thought, Iwaizumi kept walking but halted when he saw Miho with Sugawara.

"Oh? Sugawara!" he called out and after a few seconds, Sugawara and Miho looked at him with surprise.

"Ah! It's Iwajime!" Miho shouted, mistaking Iwaizumi's name once again.

"You're right, it's him. Let's go home with him." Sugawara spoke softly before he drew near Iwaizumi and asking him, "What's up? Finally made up your mind to confess to a certain someone?"

Iwaizumi smiled and nodded but he froze when he grasped what Sugawara had said. He gaped at him and backed away as Sugawara made a peace sign with a cheeky grin on his face.

"Don't mind! I won't tell him and besides, Hinata's the only one who doesn't know about it. All of us in the share house know about you except for him," Sugawara assured as he held Miho's hand tightly.

"Everyone?! Am I that obvious?" Iwaizumi asked as he clicked his tongue and wondered if he should've pushed Hinata away so the others wouldn't have noticed his feelings so quickly.

Sugawara hummed in agreement before he glanced briefly at the man beside him. "Unlike Oikawa, I'm not worried about you. I don't know if Hinata feels the same way about you but... I wouldn't mind if he did," Sugawara said before giving a thumbs-up. He then added, "That's why, before something bad happens with his mother and he's forced to go home, you should confess already."

Iwaizumi observed Sugawara. It was undoubtedly true that the ashen-haired male was worried so the fact that Iwaizumi somehow got his approval made Iwaizumi relieved. All of a sudden, Kageyama's words rang through Iwaizumi's mind.

"Uh... Hinata's pretty busy right now, so maybe I should say it to him some other time." Iwaizumi spoke unsurely.

Sugawara narrowed his eyes and heaved a sigh. "Did Kageyama say something to you? Did he say something like...? 'Hinata's busy so don't confess,' or something like that?" Sugawara questioned.

"Kind of."

"Then don't mind him! Just say what you want to say! The earlier you confess, the quicker we get this problem solved!" Sugawara cheered as he beamed at the male. Miho stopped and looked at the two men behind her.

"What are you two doing? Come on! Miho wants to see Shou-kun," Miho informed so the two males nodded and went ahead.

Soon, they reached the share house and to their surprise, Hinata was coming out the door. Sugawara gazed at Iwaizumi and winked at him before entering the house with Miho, who was whining about wanting to play with Hinata, in tow.

Iwaizumi was left with Hinata, who greeted him as cheerily as possible.

"Iwaizumi-san, are you okay? You look pale." Hinata stared at the older male worriedly.

"Uhh... I'm okay. I just need to tell you something," Iwaizumi murmured as he stared away from Hinata.

"Really? What is it? I have some time to spare for you!"

Hearing that, Iwaizumi smiled and faced the shorter male. He gently grabbed Hinata's shoulders and stepped closer. "I'm confessing to you," Iwaizumi blurted out, earning him a confused look from Hinata.

"What?"

"Hinata... I like you."

The orange-haired male blinked and tried to process what Iwaizumi had just declared in front of him. Hinata gulped and felt his heart pounding loudly but not because of happiness. It was because of nervousness. Hinata gazed at the older male with uncertainty and Iwaizumi, who had a smile tugging on his lips, stopped smiling once he saw Hinata's gloomy expression. Slowly, Hinata grabbed Iwaizumi's hands and lowered them before gently pushing him away.

"Iwaizumi-san... what are you saying? I don't want to go out with you."

The two stood in silence. Crows could be heard and the faint sound of crickets as well. Iwaizumi closed his ajar mouth and sucked a deep inhale before clearing his throat.

"Why?" he asked.

Hinata sent him a solemn look before he shook his head. "I just don't want to. Iwaizumi-san, you're probably confused," Hinata replied.

"I'm not. I thought I was confused as well but I'm not anymore! I like you, I really do."

"Stop it. I don't wanna hear that. I don't feel the same. I'm really sorry." Hinata bowed before walking away.

Iwaizumi stared at him with confusion before he asked him. "At least give me a reason. Why are you rejecting me?"

Hinata paused in his tracks. He took a deep breath before facing Iwaizumi. "In a drama I watched last week, there was a girl who rejected her friend and she later cried because she was sad... but right now... I don't feel sad like her," said Hinata. "I'm rejecting you because this is all I can feel for you. You're my friend and I want you to stay like that. I'm really sorry, I know you're serious but... please don't hope anymore and just find someone else." He spoke sullenly before leaving Iwaizumi behind.

As Hinata walked away, all Iwaizumi could do was watch him getting further away from him. He was rejected brutally, no doubt about that.

"Iwaizumi-san..."

This made Iwaizumi turn around. He found Oikawa and Kageyama looking at him with sadness so Iwaizumi faked a soft smile before heading inside the share house. The two followed him inside. Iwaizumi went past his room and went straight to the kitchen.

Sugawara and Tsukishima eyed him with bafflement before looking at Oikawa and Kageyama.

Oikawa shook his head and glanced at Iwaizumi who now had a can of beer in his hand.

Iwaizumi plopped down the couch and opened the can before downing it. "I was rejected." Iwaizumi spoke calmly.

The others eyed him with gloom. Sugawara heaved a sigh and leaned on the couch while Tsukishima pushed his glasses up.

"You should've expected that," Tsukishima spoke indifferently. "Do you think Hinata has time to date if his mother's life is in danger?"

Iwaizumi stared at Tsukishima before groaning. "I know that! I... it's just... before it's too late, it's better to get an answer, even if it's a no," Iwaizumi said.

The share house had a rare silent moment even though the tenants were inside.

Iwaizumi kept his eyes on the television and mused about his choices. At least he had an answer. He wouldn't need to be assuming that he had a chance because Hinata brutally rejected him and although it pained him, Iwaizumi was at least relieved. All he had to do now was get over his silly liking of the orange-haired male and he'd be fine again.

'Yeah, easier said than done,' Iwaizumi thought.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **This is not a typical love story. If you expected teen-like romance, look somewhere else cause I'm giving this story an adult twist. A twist that any working people could relate to so yup... rejection and stuff... but do not fret! This ends in a good way :))**


	15. Haggard Situations

Iwaizumi was rejected. He really was.

Hinata gazed at the man he had rejected and watched as Iwaizumi stood in front of him while holding his plate.

"Uh... can you move?" Iwaizumi asked.

Hinata blinked before he nodded and moved away from the sink. Iwaizumi walked pass him and placed the plate in the sink before backing away. Hinata kept his eyes on the older male.

"Iwaizumi-san," Hinata called and instantly, he could feel the gaze of his five housemates on him, "are you alright?"

Iwaizumi gave a strained smile as he nodded and said, "I'm fine! I really am! Even if you rejected me after five seconds, I'm fine."

Hinata chuckled awkwardly as he hummed in response. He looked away and rubbed the back of his neck before he stared at Iwaizumi with a bright smile. "Since you're fine now and you're leaving for work, can you throw the trash away? It's over there so if you could take it out to the bin, it would be a great relief!" Hinata said with an insensitive yet sunny grin on his face.

Iwaizumi almost felt that he wasn't rejected with how sunny and bright the younger man's smile was but he reminded himself about the rejection and nodded. "Okay... I'll throw it away." Iwaizumi spoke with a hint of irritation.

"Cool! And Iwaizumi-san, since you're fine now..." Hinata looked away and hesitated for a bit before looking at Iwaizumi. "I hope you find someone else that you like! Fight on!"

Iwaizumi deadpanned at what Hinata had said. Did the younger male think that it was easy getting over liking someone? Iwaizumi nodded weakly before he heard sounds of snickering. He glanced at the dinner table and saw Oikawa, Sugawara, and Tsukishima shaking as they covered their mouth. Iwaizumi clicked his tongue and kicked Oikawa's chair since the brunette was the nearest.

"Shut up, Trashykawa," Iwaizumi said.

"Heh... Iwa-chan, find someone else, okay? Good luck with that!" Oikawa provoked.

Iwaizumi clenched his hands and kicked Oikawa's chair again. "I will! I'll find someone who's much better than Hinata! They'll be successful and cuter! Just you wait!" Iwaizumi yelled as he stomped his way out of the share house.

His housemates observed him leave and when he slammed the door behind him, they laughed loudly.

"That was gold! Iwa-chan's pissed!" Oikawa exclaimed as he clapped.

Kageyama chuckled and ended up choking on his food as a result. Sugawara handed him water while laughing. Tsukishima covered his mouth to calm himself from laughing before he attempted to drink water only to laugh again. Miho eyed the adults with a puzzled expression before glancing at Hinata, who stared back at her with an apologetic look.

"You guys…cut it out! He's probably still hurting," Hinata scolded before he leaned on the counter.

Tsukishima looked at him before he shook his head in disagreement. "If you're that worried, why did you even reject him?" the blond male asked.

"Yeah, Shou-chan! How could you reject Iwa-chan? He was serious about you," Oikawa informed, making Hinata frown.

"Well... if he likes me then... am I obliged to like him back?" Hinata asked with furrowed eyebrows. "I have my own problems, you know? I can't like someone just because they're serious about me!" he added before huffing in irritation. Hinata crossed his arms and looked away from the group.

Oikawa gazed at him for a while and clicked his tongue thrice. Hinata didn't really like Iwaizumi and Oikawa felt bad about it. "God... you're unbelievably brutal and scary when you want to be, Shou-chan," Oikawa mused out loud.

* * *

The housemates had to suffer through days of Iwaizumi accidentally breaking things and spilling food. Again.

"Dang it! Iwaizumi, you broke another plate!" Sugawara scolded.

Iwaizumi looked away in shame. Could you blame him? He was uncomfortable with Hinata around!

"Iwaizumi-san, if you keep breaking stuff, we'll be forced to eat with plastic Tupperware," Kageyama said calmly while eating a bread slice. Iwaizumi nodded and lowered his head in embarrassment. "I won't break another plate... Or spill food." Iwaizumi spoke seriously as he showed determination. The group accepted his declaration and let him go.

Then the next day, he broke another plate. Even Oikawa, who had known Iwaizumi ever since he was a toddler, was shocked at how clumsy his childhood friend was. Was it because of a person? Oikawa mused about it and observed his friend carefully and after that, Oikawa figured it out.

Which was why Hinata was in front of Iwaizumi at the kitchen all alone while the others were in Mr. Yano's house. Hinata had his arms folded with an annoyed expression while Iwaizumi looked away as stubbornly as possible.

"Iwaizumi-san, do you know why we're here?" Hinata asked.

"Like hell, I'd know... is it to torture me?" Iwaizumi asked back.

"No. It's because you're bothering everyone with how much you're breaking things!" Hinata answered his own question.

Iwaizumi hummed in response and looked at the living room through the divider wall with the window on it. Hinata noticed that the older man wasn't looking at him so he took a deep breath and grabbed the small lunchbox beside him.

"Iwaizumi-san, here," Hinata handed it to the man he rejected.

Iwaizumi gazed at it warily before taking it.

"Eat it." Hinata motioned for him to eat so Iwaizumi carefully opened the lunchbox and started eating it.

"That's good! Kids always talk to me more calmly while they're eating!" Hinata informed cheerily.

"Ack! What?! I'm not a kid." Iwaizumi coughed and patted his chest but kept eating in the end.

The two kept silent and after a whole minute of silence, Hinata cleared his throat and leaned forward.

"Is there anything wrong? Last time you were this clumsy, something was bothering you," Hinata queried, being mature once again.

Iwaizumi swallowed his food and placed the lunchbox down. Hinata handed him a bottle of water and Iwaizumi took it without hesitating. After drinking it, he started speaking.

"It's because of you... I was clumsy because of you."

Hinata blinked in stun. He raised an eyebrow and leaned on his chair before asking, "Ahh... is it because I rejected you?"

"No. It's because I was worried you'd get uncomfortable with me." After saying that, Iwaizumi kept eating.

Hearing that, Hinata paused and watched the man in front of him. So Iwaizumi was worried that Hinata would be uncomfortable instead of worrying about himself? Honestly, Hinata was speechless from that. Most of the time, Hinata knew that people would avoid someone or be uncomfortable because they got rejected, not because they were worried that the person who rejected them would get sheepish with them. Now that he knew the reason, Hinata recalled his answer and held his head before groaning.

"You... do you remember what I said when I rejected you?" Hinata grilled and when Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow while eating, Hinata chuckled lightly. "I said that I didn't feel anything when I rejected you but now... I think I feel sad." He spoke lowly.

"Why? You're not the one who got rejected," Iwaizumi retorted.

"I know! I didn't get rejected but I feel sad. You look really serious about me so I'm really sorry. I'm sorry that I don't feel the same," Hinata apologized one more time.

Iwaizumi eyed him sadly before placing the food down. "Quit it. Stop saying sorry. I'm fine, really," Iwaizumi assured with a small smile before he pushed himself up. "I'm going to my room. Thanks for the food and... let's just stay as friends." Iwaizumi then walked away and headed to his room.

Hinata kept his attention on the taller male until he saw the door close. Once Iwaizumi was in his room, Hinata grunted and placed his head down on the table.

"What was that? Why did he say that? Shouldn't I be the one saying that?" Hinata thought out loud.

* * *

Tsukishima exited the share house to get some fresh air but unexpectedly, he saw Sugawara in the entryway with a phone beside his ear.

"Yes... I finished it now... no, I—well... I got that," Sugawara answered with pauses in between.

Tsukishima could hear someone shouting from the line so he guessed that it was Sugawara's boss. The blond male kept watching Sugawara until the ashen-haired male said bye and hung up. After that, Tsukishima watched as Sugawara sighed in exhaustion.

"That damn pig..." Sugawara muttered under his breath before turning around to enter the share house but he jumped when he saw Tsukishima behind him. "Tsukishima... how long have you been there?" Sugawara asked sheepishly.

"Ever since you said you finished something," Tsukishima answered nonchalantly.

Sugawara gave out another sigh before he smiled softly and walked towards the door to the share house. Sugawara held the door knob and said, "Come on! Let's go in!"

Tsukishima hesitated since he was actually on his way outside but when Sugawara tugged on him, he had no choice but to enter the house again. The two then went to the living room only to see Oikawa glaring at Kageyama.

"Ahhh, why are you two fighting again?" Sugawara asked tiredly before plopping down the couch.

Tsukishima followed after and grabbed his phone from his pocket.

"I don't know. Ask Tobio-chan." Oikawa spoke coldly.

Kageyama glowered at him and grunted. He didn't knew what was wrong. Honestly, Kageyama wanted to slap Oikawa but at the same time, he wanted to hug him and apologize. Kageyama was perplexed.

Sugawara shook his head at the two men who had another lover's spat and stared at the television. What he saw made him gasp. It was Oikawa and Kageyama on the channel. Sugawara leaned closer and listened to the female on the television speak.

 _"We've heard about handsome players, handsome managers, and handsome bodyguards. But what about sports managers? Recently, a famous volleyball player and his sports manager caught lots of attention after being caught going to an amusement park together."_

Sugawara and Tsukishima glanced at Oikawa and Kageyama. They covered their mouths and snickered when they saw how irritated the two men looked.

"Shut up! This doesn't please me!" Oikawa shouted in anger.

Kageyama scoffed and crossed his arms before glaring at Tsukishima.

"What happened? How did the two of you get lots of attention?" Sugawara interrogated as he leaned forward.

Oikawa looked away and kept sulking.

"It's probably because Oikawa-san looked attractive and Kageyama, although I don't think he is, looked good as well in the eyes of the netizens. That's why both of them got famous," Tsukishima explained.

Sugawara hummed in response, completely accepting the explanation. He observed Oikawa and Kageyama and nodded in agreement. True, the two men were good-looking so Sugawara understood why netizens would place their attention on the two. Sugawara smiled before looking at the television.

 _"Kageyama Tobio, a volleyball player on Japan's national team, is known by most people for looking attractive while playing the sport! He also modeled for Asics and starred in various sports commercial which made him crazy popular in Japan! But when he was seen with a man beside him while walking in an amusement park, his fans went mad! Not only did Kageyama-kun look good in casual clothes, the person beside him was equally as dashing as him! People even thought that they were models! Then with what seemed like a miracle, Kageyama-kun's fans eventually found out that the man beside him was none other than his sports manager, Oikawa Tooru! Now that these two men have every Japanese women's attention, let's all hope that they become models soon!"_

Tsukishima and Sugawara cackled when they heard the female's last statement. Oikawa becoming a model wasn't far-fetched but Kageyama? That was a dream that they knew would never happen.

Kageyama looked down in shame while Oikawa huffed in pride. The brunette was glad that he had been called attractive but he was still angry. He glanced at Kageyama and caught the younger male looking at him as well.

"Stop looking at me and look the other way," Oikawa sneered. Once Kageyama looked away, he scoffed.

Earlier at the sports court, something shocking had happened to Oikawa. After catching the net's attention, Oikawa was surprised to see that some women knew him and wanted to take a picture with him. He kindly accepted the offer and talked to them then after a while he glanced at Kageyama to see if he was alright but to the brunette's shock, Kageyama didn't care. Now, Oikawa was glad that Kageyama didn't mind but after a while, he got annoyed. Why? Because it was as if Kageyama didn't care about him. Normally, a person who liked someone would get jealous and angry when the person they liked talked to someone or if someone else flirted with the person they liked but Kageyama? No, he didn't. Kageyama never batted an eye at Oikawa while the brunette was talking to others and Kageyama also never showed any hint of jealousy nor care when some random woman decided to flirt with Oikawa.

This irritated Oikawa. Was he the only one who was serious in this relationship? Was Oikawa the only one who cared enough?

Oikawa groaned and clicked his tongue. He sprang up and headed to the bathroom. Kageyama glanced at him before he stood up as well and followed the brunette. Sugawara and Tsukishima narrowed their eyes when the two men entered the bathroom at the same time.

"Those two... they entered the bathroom... together," Sugawara murmured.

"They'll fix their spat inside," Tsukishima guessed.

Sugawara side-eyed the blond before chortling at the ridiculous guess but after a while, accepted it.

On the other hand, Oikawa was irritated that Kageyama had followed him in. "What are you doing? Get out," he spoke spitefully.

"Why are you even angry? Aren't I supposed to be the one who's angry?" Kageyama retorted.

"If you want to get angry then get angry!" Oikawa retaliated. It was better to be angry than have no care at all.

"I am angry! You keep on acting like that when I'm the one who should be getting frustrated at you!"

"Oh really? You look like you don't even care!"

"Since when?!"

"Since women started flocking to me!"

"I was angry at that time! I just didn't show it because I knew you wanted the attention!"

"I didn't want their attention, I wanted _your_ attention!"

Kageyama gawked at what Oikawa shouted while Oikawa instantly cringed once he noticed what he just said. Kageyama slapped his forehead and stepped closer to the taller male and pulled him down before he planted a kiss on the brunette's lips. Oikawa was quick to pull the younger male close to him as they stepped back to lean on the wall. They stayed that way, each second that passed making their kiss even more heated.

After half a minute, they pulled away and panted, faces flushed and eyes desperately avoiding each other to prevent awkwardness. Oikawa suddenly pulled Kageyama even closer and decided that he didn't care anymore before smirking.

"Again?" he asked Kageyama, who hesitated for a bit before nodding.

They were closing the distance between them when someone angrily banged on the door, making both of them jump away from each other. Oikawa cussed under his breath while Kageyama clenched his hands out of irritation. Who dared to destroy their moment?

"Oi! You two! Get the hell outta there! My bladder's gonna explode because of both of you!" Iwaizumi loudly shouted as he pounded on the door.

Oikawa grunted and unlocked the door before slamming it open. "Iwa-chan, you damn destroyer!" Oikawa yelled in frustration.

"Shut up! If you want to make out then go in your room! Better yet, go to a hotel! Don't make love inside this house! There's a child here for god's sake!" Iwaizumi yelled as he pushed the two male out of the bathroom and then slamming the door closed before locking it.

Kageyama and Oikawa huffed at how angry Iwaizumi was. Just because he was rejected... the two shook their head in disapproval.

"Oh? Were you two inside? Did Iwaizumi-san force you out?" Hinata suddenly appeared and asked them. Oikawa smiled and nodded.

"Are you two fine now?" Kageyama asked.

"Yeah! He told me that we should just be friends!" Hinata informed.

Oikawa raised an eyebrow and said, "You mean... you said that you should just be friends?"

"No! Iwaizumi-san was the one who said it!" Hinata shook his head before grinning cheerily.

"Eh? But you rejected him, right? Why was Iwa-chan the one saying it?"

"I don't know! Beats me."

Kageyama and Oikawa eyed Hinata with confusion. What the hell was Hinata's relationship with Iwaizumi? Did Hinata reject Iwaizumi or was it the other way around?

"You two cool now?" Sugawara asked as he walked to the kitchen.

Miho was behind him raising a car up in the air. "Iwajime shouted at you! Miho heard it!" Miho teased as she snickered before she said, "You two got interrupted! Tsushimaki Kondo told me!"

Hinata heard the butchered name Miho gave Tsukishima so he laughed out loud and held his stomach.

Tsukishima saw the ginger and narrowed his eyes. "It was you, wasn't it? You made the brat keep messing my name?" Tsukishima accused.

Hinata shook his head as he wiped a tear away. He stared at Miho and found the girl attempting to wink, only to fail badly. Hinata laughed again and the rest watched the orange-haired male with amusement.

The others knew that it has been a while since Hinata laughed out loud because the shortest male in the share house was usually at work or busy cooking or taking care of Miho or cleaning or doing his teacher work at home. At the realization, the men, except for Hinata, froze. Hinata had become a person who was too industrious. They didn't expect this but it came and now, they were horrified.

"Hinata... do you want to rest for a while? I'll cook for tonight!" Sugawara suggested.

"Oh wow! The house is so dirty! Let's clean, Tobio-chan!" Oikawa exclaimed as he grabbed the broom and dustpan.

"Miho, don't make too much dirt. If you make a mess, you'll be obliged to clean," Tsukishima said bluntly.

"Huh? What's ov-laije? Sounds rich," Miho asked, still uninformed about fancy words.

Tsukishima sighed and explained to her what obliged meant.

Hinata watched the others and wondered what was up. Soon, he smiled softly before helping Sugawara at cooking.

Sugawara denied his help at first but when he felt his phone vibrate, he left the food to Hinata and went outside. He closed the door as he answered the phone.

Miho gazed at Sugawara and watched as her uncle closed the door behind him. The young girl kept playing with cars and dinosaurs and recalling the other dinosaur's name with Tsukishima reminding her. After a few minutes, Miho groaned immaturely and asked Tsukishima to accompany her to Sugawara. The blond male denied at first but when Miho told him that she wouldn't stay inside his room for five days, Tsukishima agreed.

As Tsukishima went with her, Miho smirked and thought, " _Miho's bargaining skill is top-notch_."

The two walked to the door. Miho couldn't reach the doorknob yet so Tsukishima opened the door as quietly as possible. Once they opened it, they heard Sugawara's soft voice.

"Sir, you just gave me one more earlier and now you're going to give me another one? Sir, I... okay, I'm sorry. I wasn't complaining, I'll finish it as soon as possible. Yes, sir. I'll get it done."

Tsukishima and Miho observed the ashen-haired male and noticed the agitated expression he had. The young girl felt bad for her uncle. She looked up at Tsukishima and tugged on his pants. The blond male looked down and saw the concerned expression Miho had.

"What are you two doing?"

Tsukishima and Miho whipped their head towards Sugawara's direction. The exhausted male smiled and the two could sense that Sugawara was tired. Miho closed her eyes and crossed her arms. She hummed in consideration as various ideas entered her mind. Out of the blue, Miho's eyes shot open.

"Miho got it!" she shouted as she rushed to Sugawara's side. She beamed and blurted out, "Tsukishima Kei wants to go out on a date with you!"

The two men didn't say anything back.

Sugawara was shocked that Miho said something as absurd as flying pigs while Tsukishima didn't know whether he should be stunned by what Miho declared or how Miho finally got his name right.

"Mi-Miho! You're being ridiculous!" Sugawara exclaimed as he stared at the blond male with astonishment.

Tsukishima looked at the older male back with a skeptical look. "I didn't say that. She's just making things up," Tsukishima explained.

When Miho heard this, she teared up before bawling her eyes out.

"What?! Miho knows that you want to date Kou-kun! Go on a date!" Miho cried as she ran towards the blond male and hugged his pants before putting her snot in it.

Tsukishima clicked his tongue as he glared at the child. "Get off," he uttered.

"Miho won't get off! Go on a date with Kou-kun!" Miho retorted.

Tsukishima felt the urge to kick the kid away, except, he didn't want to hurt a child so he gazed at Sugawara emptily.

Sugawara, on the other hand, gazed back at him apologetically. What had made the young girl say a false statement?

The two males didn't have a clue so they sighed before finally agreeing to what Miho demanded.


	16. Concerned Housemates

"Ahhh, so you two are going out on a date because Miho told you to?" Oikawa pointed at Sugawara and Tsukishima. He then nodded as he grasped the information. "Okay! I get it! I've read too many stories to know where this is going but I won't stand in your way." The brunette smiled as he gestured the two to go.

Miho glared at the men in the share house and grunted in irritation. Not one of them understood why she was doing what she was doing.

"Argh! Kou-kun is stressed! That's why Miho told him that Tsuzumiya Teri wanted to go on a date with him!" Miho shouted in frustration before she added, "Kou-kun is stressed, get that in your head! Kou-kun needs to chill!"

The adults stared at Miho incredulously. Sugawara gaped at his niece's reasoning but felt touched nonetheless.

"Aww! Miho, you didn't have to—" Sugawara didn't finish his sentence because Hinata slammed his fist on the table.

"If Sugawara-san's stressed then... let's help him!" Hinata exclaimed firmly as he appeared determined. Sugawara wanted to complain but Kageyama slammed his hand down the table as well.

"Okay! Let's help Sugawara-san!" Kageyama told them eagerly. He turned to Oikawa and nudged him.

Oikawa blinked and glanced at Sugawara before he looked back at Kageyama. The brunette grabbed his glass of water before he downed it in one shot. He then raised his fist in the air before he said, "Lezgo!"

Hinata gaped before he tried it as well. Soon, Kageyama followed and the three were cheering for their scheme on cheering their ashen-haired housemate and friend. Sugawara was left wondering what he should do.

"This is how ridiculous you, Oikawa and Hinata are when the three of you are scheming something," Iwaizumi muttered and Sugawara agreed.

He almost felt bad for Iwaizumi. Almost since he envied that Oikawa, Hinata, and Kageyama were cheering on the same thing. Sugawara didn't want to be left out so he raised his fist as well and shouted, "Lezgo!"

The three cheering males stopped and gawked at Sugawara. They paused before returning to cheering but this time, Sugawara was yelling with them. Iwaizumi and Tsukishima heaved a sigh and kept eating.

* * *

Sugawara shouldn't have cheered with the three others.

After breakfast, the others went to their respective works. Hinata, Sugawara and Miho were the only ones left. Hinata and Miho didn't have to go to kindergarten because it was their summer break and the two would return next week for school so Hinata and Miho were able to accompany the gray-haired male.

While Miho was playing dinosaurs in the living room, Sugawara was seated in front of the kitchen table. He watched as Hinata cooked something. Sugawara didn't know what he was doing. He had been dragged by the orange-haired male and was told to watch so there he was, observing Hinata chop onions, garlic, carrots, and some other vegetables. He quietly watched as Hinata whisked the eggs and performed various procedure that made Sugawara sure that Hinata was cooking omurice. Once Hinata was finished, he carried the plate and faced Sugawara.

Hinata then said, "Sugawara-san, I know that you're stressed but think of it this way."

Sugawara furrowed his eyebrows but kept listening anyway.

"Like cooking, you'll have to do many things before you taste the delicious dish. You'll have to chop the onions first and cry because of the onions. Life is like that. You'll cry and get hurt, you'll sometimes put yourself in danger but in the end, if you keep being patient, then you'll soon taste the delicious prize that you've been waiting for." Hinata spoke wisely. He smiled gently and Sugawara smiled back. Hinata nodded so Sugawara nodded back then soon, Hinata walked towards the older male.

"I cooked this since you're stressed," said Hinata as he took a step forward but he accidentally tripped over nothing so the plate he was carrying was sent at the ashen-haired male's face. Hinata gasped before he grabbed a clean tissue.

"I'm sorry! I accidentally tripped over nothing!" Hinata apologized but Sugawara simply nodded as he thought about Hinata's words earlier.

It was as if the ginger's words and actions spoke to him on a spiritual level. Sugawara always walked through life like cooking. He cried and got hurt and sometimes placed himself in danger and when he was about to receive his delicious prize, it always ended up being thrown at his face. Sugawara felt himself chuckle darkly.

After that incident with Hinata, Sugawara rested by watching a movie on the television but Oikawa and Kageyama came home in the afternoon and to Sugawara's surprise, Oikawa had something for him. So Sugawara found himself following Oikawa to the park for no clear reason.

As Sugawara pondered about the brunette's actions, Oikawa suddenly climbed the jungle gym. Sugawara watched the male climb and once he reached the top, Oikawa huffed in pride before he looked down on Sugawara.

Oikawa then said, "Suga, I know you're stressed but think of it this way."

Sugawara swore that he had heard the exact same thing from Hinata but he kept listening anyway.

"Like this jungle gym, life is full of hurdles. If you want to reach the top and see the sky, you have to keep climbing no matter how hard it is! Sometimes, your arms would get numb or you'll feel like giving up and sometimes, you'll even say you'll quit on climbing but if you stay determined, you can climb through this jungle gym or that slide or that swing set! You can do anything as long as you're determined!" Oikawa told with a stern look. He pumped his fist before smiling at Sugawara like those gym instructors in TV who cheers on you to do better.

Sugawara felt touched.

"Get it? I'll come down now!" Oikawa said before he climbed back down. Once he was beside Sugawara, he sent a thumbs up before saying, "First one to reach the share house orders the other one around!"

Oikawa then ran ahead, stunning Sugawara but as the stressed male watched the brunette, Oikawa suddenly tripped over a stone and fell down, hitting his knees first. Sugawara frantically called out to the brunette and approached him.

"Oikawa? Are you alright?" Sugawara asked worriedly.

Oikawa eyed his housemate before yelling in pain. "Suga! Suga, what do I do? I can't feel it! I can't feel my legs!" Oikawa panicked as he held on his knees. "Help me up! Carry me! Carry!" he whined.

"But... didn't you say that you could do anything as long as you're determined? Walk by yourself then." Sugawara replied.

"I can't do that! My knees failed me! You have to carry me now!"

With that said, Sugawara carried Oikawa home. The gray-haired male had to ignore the weird stares that other people gave them while Oikawa whined about how he was in deep pain. Sugawara felt like Oikawa's words were meant for his life. Just when Sugawara thought that he would get to the top, he always ended up tripping in the end.

Once they were home, Oikawa rested and Sugawara hoped that no one would try to do something as well. Unfortunately, Kageyama appeared in front of him with a volleyball in hand.

"Sugawara-san, can you come with me outside?" Kageyama asked so Sugawara nodded and went with the black-haired male. Sugawara guessed that maybe Kageyama wanted someone to toss the volleyball with him and since that was an easy job, he followed Kageyama without complaints. Once they were outside, Sugawara saw Kageyama turn to face him.

Kageyama then said, "Sugawara-san, I understand that you're stressed but think of it this way."

And just by that, Sugawara knew that something would go wrong but he kept listening anyway.

"Like volleyball, life is all about catching the ball. No matter how painful it is, you have to keep receiving, otherwise, the ball will drop and you lose. I understand that it's painful and exhausting right now but you have to keep on playing. I'm sure that you'll win this match," Kageyama assured as he twisted the volleyball in his hands. Sugawara smiled as he nodded at what Kageyama said. It was reassuring but he felt like something would hit him.

"Sugawara-san, receive this," Kageyama said.

Sugawara blinked and realized that Kageyama was about to toss the ball towards him but before Sugawara could get in the position to receive the ball, Kageyama had already tossed the ball to him. The next thing Sugawara knew, the volleyball hit him in the face.

Kageyama froze when he witnessed the ball slam the stressed man right on the nose. "Sugawara-san!" Kageyama yelled as he loomed near the man on the ground. He gawked when he found Sugawara's nose bleeding.

Kageyama and Sugawara rushed into the house and Hinata was quick to help the gray-haired male. Oikawa stood beside Kageyama while Miho watched the men with an empty look. She had a feeling that she shouldn't have told the others about the stress that her dearest uncle was feeling, that way, Sugawara wouldn't be experiencing all these troubles.

' _How pitiful,'_ Miho thought solemnly.

"You three are idiots," Miho blurted out as she crossed her arms. "Miho knew that Tsushishima Ike should have dated Kou-kun." She spoke like a disappointed mother.

"We were just trying to help. Why did it end up so bad?" Hinata mumbled with remorse. He held out the tissue to Sugawara who was tending to his bleeding nose.

It had been a while since Sugawara had gotten hit in the face with a volleyball and while it made him nostalgic, Sugawara hoped that he wouldn't experience it again.

"What happened here?" Iwaizumi asked, having just went home after work. He narrowed his eyes at Sugawara once he saw that the male was nose-bleeding.

"These three tried to put Kou-kun in pain," Miho accused.

The said men denied the accusations.

Hinata said, "We were just trying to make Sugawara-san relax! We wanted to remove his stress."

Iwaizumi sighed and shook his head. His housemates didn't know how to remove stress but Iwaizumi knew so he sat down on the couch and placed the plastic bag. The others furrowed their eyebrows as the man pulled out the contents of the bag.

Iwaizumi then said, "Sugawara, I know this is stressing you out but think of it this way."

Sugawara groaned when he heard that. He was about to say no when Iwaizumi handed him a can of beer.

"Life is hard and sometimes, you need to find something that would make you relax and the best way to do that is to drink some beer. So have some." Iwaizumi smiled softly.

Sugawara gaped at the male as he felt himself tearing up. That was possibly the greatest advice he got and it made him truly happy. He took the can gratefully and opened it but once he did, the liquid spewed on his face.

The share house went quiet as they eyed Sugawara blankly. Sugawara, on the other hand, stared at the beer before glancing at Iwaizumi, who held his hands up.

"It must've shook while I was carrying it. Sorry. Here, have another one." Iwaizumi handed another can but Sugawara shook his head and pushed himself up.

He went to Hinata and took a tissue before wiping himself clean. Sugawara was exhausted and honestly, he just wanted to sleep. Forget about the stress and how to eliminate it, Sugawara would live his life the same way he lived last week.

He didn't want to change anything anymore. He was content with what he had.

"I'll be going to the rooftop. Don't worry about me, okay?" Sugawara spoke gently before leaving the house.

The others stared after him guiltily.

* * *

Tsukishima entered the house. He saw that his housemates were drinking beer so he sighed. "What happened? It's rare for all of you to be drinking together. Did you mess up?" Tsukishima grilled and to his surprise, Miho faced him with a glass of apple juice in her hand.

"They made Kou-kun even more stressed," Miho informed him.

Tsukishima nodded as he understood the situation. He observed the men at the living room and saw that they looked guilty. The blond pinched the bridge of his nose before he faced Miho. "Where's Sugawara-san then?" he asked.

"On the roof. He's resting there."

Tsukishima nodded. He paused for a while before he turned around to go to his room but Miho suddenly clutched to his left leg and when he looked down, Miho was tearing up.

"Do something! Make Kou-kun happy! Bring him down here again! I won't let go if you don't say yes!" Miho cried as she attempted to wipe her snot on the blond man's pants but before she could do that, Tsukishima held her head back and carried her before placing her on the couch. He pushed his glasses up before sneering at the girl. Miho knew that the blond wouldn't help so she cried even louder. This not only irritated Tsukishima but the others as well.

"Damn it, Tsukishima! Just go to Sugawara-san!" Kageyama shouted in annoyance.

"Tsk! Go do it yourself. You were the one who put him in that state in the first place," Tsukishima retorted and rushed to his room but Hinata quickly ran to the blonde's room and pushed the door open.

"Go to Sugawara-san! Miho won't stop crying unless you do!" Hinata exclaimed.

Tsukishima clicked his tongue again before letting the door swing open. He scoffed at his two former teammates before glancing at Oikawa and Iwaizumi, only to see the two drinking cans of beer with a tired expression. At least they weren't crazy when drunk, Tsukishima mused. The tall blond glanced at Miho before he gave in.

He exited the house and gazed at the roof. Since it was still 5 in the evening, the male could still see the roof clearly. He found a person on top sitting at the edge. Tsukishima thought about how troublesome this was before searching for the ladder. Once he found it, he climbed up.

"Sugawara-san," he called out as he set foot on the roof. He caught the gray-haired male looking at the overview of the town. When he didn't recieve an answer, Tsukishima kept quiet and looked around for a while. Staying at the rooftop might sound scenic for others but Tsukishima didn't like it that much. If he wanted to look at the overview of a city, he would've simply went to Tokyo tower besides, the blond was too busy with his studies to be marveling about the beauty of city lights. Done with the view, he crept over to the stressed member of the household and took a seat beside him silently.

Sugawara noticed the blond who sat next to him and smiled softly. The two kept a silent yet serene atmosphere between them. They gazed at the city and had different thoughts on their mind but when the gray-haired male turned to Tsukishima and asked why the blond was there beside him, the two had to shift their focus to the person beside them.

"Miho wanted me to bring you down," was Tsukishima's straight answer.

Sugawara chuckled light-heartedly before he replied with, "I'll get down but maybe later. If I go now, I'll just feel an urge to work again."

Tsukishima didn't say anything after that. He kept his gaze at the older male while Sugawara had looked at the view in front of him.

Sugawara's phone abruptly rang, breaking the peace of the moment. Sugawara checked it and saw that his boss texted again saying that he had to get the job done as soon as possible. The male grunted and wanted to throw his phone away but he stopped himself and instantly pushed it inside his pocket before he actually did end up hurling it away in a fit of rage. He then sighed. He should've accepted that beer that Iwaizumi was offering him.

"It's like, I'm the only one stuck somewhere I'm not happy with," Sugawara mused out loud.

"Have you looked at Hinata or Oikawa-san?" queried Tsukishima.

"Oh! You're right! Those two..." Sugawara smiled as he recalled that Hinata and Oikawa wanted to be like Kageyama. Still, they might not have the job they wanted but they were enjoying their occupations. Iwaizumi, although stressed, seemed to like his work as well.

Meanwhile, Tsukishima observed the ashen-haired male's smile. It looked soft and gentle yet it had a strong sentiment that seemed to remind the blond of home. It was sappy but how else could he explain the feeling? Thinking about it, Tsukishima recalled his brother's misunderstanding about him and Sugawara. Out of the blue, Tsukishima was forced to find a way to explain the confusion to his family.

"Should I just quit? Where would I get money then?" Sugawara mumbled under his breath cutting through the blond man's thoughts instantly. Sugawara then clapped his hands when he recalled someone's offer to him. He was asked to work for a new app since Sugawara was good at stuff like that. He soon slumped his shoulders when he recalled how much he invested to get in the company he was right now. It would be a shame if he just quit after putting lots of effort to get the job. "Maybe not, then." Sugawara huffed.

Tsukishima was amused by how easy and fast the older male changed expressions. It was as if Sugawara was an open book.

"You should just quit," Tsukishima chimed in, earning a stunned look from the older male.

"No way! I was just joking! I wouldn't quit my job!" Sugawara denied as he laughed sheepishly.

Tsukishima noticed this so he sighed before blurting out something. "You seem stressed. Do you want to listen to Miho now?"

Sugawara blinked and kept his gaze towards the blond.

"What?" he uttered, making Tsukishima push his glasses up.

"I've thought about what Miho said and I don't mind it... being with you, I mean," he said quietly.

Sugawara was still confused so he retorted, "What do you mean? I don't mind being up here with you as well, if that's what you're implying. Why did you even add Miho in here?"

Tsukishima bit his tongue and eyed the older male. How could the gray-haired male not get him? Hadn't he made himself clear? Taking a deep breath, Tsukishima declared something shocking.

"Let's go on a date or better yet... let's go out."

The atmosphere between the two shifted from comfortable to warm. Sugawara could feel his cheeks heat up while Tsukishima had to hold himself back from jumping off the roof because of shame. Believe it or not, even Tsukishima felt embarrassed sometimes.

"Tsukishima, I think you're taking Miho's words too seriously," Sugawara said with an awkward smile.

"No, I'm not. I'm asking you out because I don't mind being with you," Tsukishima replied.

"Do you like me?"

"No."

"Then why are you asking me out?"

"I'm comfortable with you. And it takes a lot for me to be truly comfortable with someone."

Sugawara sighed and covered his face to avoid showing his flushed cheeks. If he thought about it, he was comfortable with the blond male as well and he had thought about their compatibility before but that was it. Of course, it couldn't be avoided to think about what would happen if they started dating but Sugawara didn't dwell on the idea too much. He was fine with their relationship because it was cozy and felt like he was at home.

 _'But would anything change if we dated?'_ Sugawara thought out of the blue. ' _Oikawa and Kageyama are dating, Hinata takes care of Miho all the time, and Iwaizumi is at work half of the day and when he comes home, he and Hinata take time to talk to each other even though they aren't dating so that always leaves me and Tsukishima by ourselves so, honestly, how different is that with dating? Our family also thinks that we're going out and if we do go out, it wouldn't be hard to explain it since our family already accepted it. I've seen Tsukishima date someone when he was in high school and it actually doesn't seem bad to me, now that I'm thinking about it.'_

Scanning the blond male, Sugawara couldn't help but heave another sigh but this time, it wasn't because of exhaustion but because of confusion. "Would anything change if we dated?" Sugawara asked.

"No." was Tsukishima's immediate answer then he added, "Except, we have to go out occasionally because we're dating."

Sugawara snorted at that, earning a tiny smile from the blond that disappeared almost after it appeared.

"Okay, let's go out and date," Sugawara answered calmly.

Tsukishima smirked before pushing his glasses up once again. The two looked ahead and observed the city. The sky was turning darker and as it did, they thought about their relationship. Since their reasons for dating weren't that important, they realized that they shouldn't take it too seriously.

For now, they'd just try going out with each other and see if it worked out.


	17. You're Sick

The housemates were all seated in front of the television. Hinata was on the far left and next to him were Sugawara, Tsukishima, and Iwaizumi. On the other couch, Oikawa and Kageyama were seated silently. The six were watching a movie and when a kissing scene came on, Hinata was ready to run away.

"Why is there a kissing scene every three minutes?!" Hinata yelled in irritation. The others glanced at angry short man with blank looks.

"Just watch. The story's good. It teaches you a lot of things." Oikawa shushed Hinata down.

"Teaches me a lot of things? What does it teach me? How to French kiss someone? I don't wanna learn that!" Hinata retorted as he groaned before he leaned on the couch and covered his eyes. The others stared at Hinata before glancing at Iwaizumi.

"Aw! Too bad for you, Iwaizumi," Sugawara provoked.

"Shut up," Iwaizumi snapped back.

Soon, the group fell silent again. They kept watching the movie until it finished. Once it did, no one wanted to move. They felt lethargic. All of them stayed seated on the couch, unwilling to move. The only reason why they were watching a movie was because they had time to spare before some people left. Iwaizumi was sick, Sugawara had work at home, Tsukishima didn't have to go to university today, Hinata had time before leaving for work at 6 in the evening, and Kageyama and Oikawa would leave at 1 in the afternoon, all of them decided it would be nice to watch a movie in the morning. It was supposed to help them all wake up and stop being lazy but it was to no avail.

"Ah... by the way, Tsukki and I are dating," Sugawara informed the group in a laidback manner.

Everyone hummed in response before they sprang up and gaped at Sugawara and Tsukishima.

"Ho—how?!" Hinata uttered.

"It just happened. Let's not question it," Sugawara responded calmly.

"What do you mean not question it? How does this even happen? You and Tsukki? Dating?" Oikawa grilled.

"You and Kageyama are dating. We didn't ask both of you how it happened," Sugawara replied. Oikawa eyed the gray-haired male before nodding and saying, "fair enough."

The group went quiet again. They watched the television roll the credits. They had no strength to change the channel and just waited for another movie to appear. All of a sudden, Iwaizumi sneezed.

"Ugh... damn it." Iwaizumi grunted as he grabbed the tissue on the table and wiped his nose with it.

The others glanced at him.

"You alright, Iwa-chan?" Oikawa asked nonchalantly.

"Yeah... this is just the flu. I'm fine."

The others quickly pushed themselves up and ran away from Iwaizumi. They glared at him before Oikawa spoke up.

"You said that your body was aching! Not that you had the flu!" Oikawa exclaimed.

"Quit it! It's not like you'll get..." Iwaizumi stopped talking and covered his mouth with a tissue before sneezing.

The others stared at him as if he suddenly carried something dangerous with him. Oikawa glanced at Kageyama and covered the younger male's mouth with his left hand before covering his own mouth with his right hand.

"Come on! We can't be here! We might get infected with Iwa-chan's sickness," Oikawa said as he pulled Kageyama along, much to the younger male's annoyance.

Sugawara watched the two and covered his mouth as well. "Iwaizumi, you should've told us this earlier," he started, "at least, go get a mask."

Tsukishima immediately went to the bathroom and after a minute, he came back with a surgical mask. He threw it at Iwaizumi before he turned to Sugawara. "Let's get our hands washed. It's safer that way," Tsukishima said so Sugawara nodded and went to the bathroom with him.

Hinata was left standing as he narrowed his eyes at Iwaizumi. He heaved a sigh before covering his mouth.

"How could you be so careless even with your sickness? Are you a kid?" Hinata asked.

"No," Iwaizumi responded, "I just forgot to tell all of you."

"Fine, but at least go to your room," Hinata said and when he saw the older male stand up, he added, "And don't come out until you're fine!"

Iwaizumi clicked his tongue and stomped to his room. He slammed the door behind him and after a few seconds, he stepped out to say, "I'm not angry. I just accidentally slammed the door closed."

Hinata nodded and motioned for the man to close the door so Iwaizumi narrowed his eyes at the orange-haired male.

"I'm closing it! And locking it!" Iwaizumi shouted before locking the door behind him.

Hinata snorted and shook his head in amusement. He went to the kitchen and towards the refrigerator. He searched for a piece of lemon and saw that there was none. Hinata folded his arms and wondered if he should go out and buy some. He stood and hummed in consideration until Tsukishima and Sugawara came out of the bathroom. Hinata turned to them and saw that the two had flushed cheeks.

"What the... did you two accidentally see something embarrassing?" Hinata asked naively.

"Huh? No! Of course not!" Sugawara exclaimed before he felt his phone vibrate. He brought it out and saw that it was his boss. Sugawara excused himself and went out of the share house, leaving Hinata and Tsukishima behind.

Hinata observed the blond male's expression and grinned cheekily. He kept quiet but after a while, he couldn't keep it to himself anymore. He faced Tsukishima and started speaking.

"You're worried about Sugawara-san. Go to him then," Hinata suggested.

Tsukishima eyed the shorter male with a scrutinizing gaze. "You're being mature... it's weird," he remarked.

"Do you need to say that? Just go to Sugawara-san!" Hinata countered before motioning for the blond to go.

Tsukishima looked at Hinata for a while before turning around. Without looking back, he said, "You really have changed…you've become mature." With that said, Tsukishima left.

Hinata smiled gently as he thought about what the blond said. He had changed, huh? That would be expected. Hinata wasn't a high school student anymore after all.

Tsukishima went out of the share house and softly closed the door behind him. Sugawara wasn't in the entryway so Tsukishima went out and saw the older male on his phone, shuffling around in front of the house. Tsukishima observed the male and saw the agitated expression he had.

"Yes, sir. I finished it... no, I was just—I was stressed... Oh! So I'm not allowed to be stressed?" Sugawara's agitated face shifted to a frustrated one. It soon changed back into guilt as he lowered his head. "I'm sorry. I wasn't talking back sir. I apologize. It won't happen again." He bowed as if his boss was in front of him. "Yes, sir. I'll finish it immediately." Sugawara ended the call and lowered his phone. He stared at the sky and sighed exhaustedly. He wasn't doing anything yet he felt like he just ran to the top of the mountain and back without resting. Talking to someone superior sure was stressful.

Sugawara stretched his arms and turned around to enter the house. He paused when he caught Tsukishima standing on the doorway with a slightly disappointed look.

"How long have you been there? Did you hear me get scolded?" Sugawara questioned as he entered the house.

Tsukishima let him pass but kept his gaze at him. "I heard it. If it's stressing you out, go find another job," he suggested.

"What are you saying? It isn't easy to find another job," Sugawara responded.

"Doesn't matter. If this job is tiring you out, then that's usually a sign to stop it."

Sugawara sighed and faced Tsukishima. He rubbed the back of his neck and exhaled a second time. How should he explain his side? It was true that the job was getting exhausting and he barely got enough sleep these days because the work was so demanding. He had to design and implement a lot of things that his manager commanded him to do then after that, he had to talk to other people once he'd finished in order to get their opinions and make sure everything was working. It was draining Sugawara but he knew that work was work and that meant that it would be difficult to do because that was what having a good career meant. Understanding that, Sugawara accepted how strenuous his occupation was.

"This job is really tiring but I can't quit it. I had a really hard time trying to get in this company so if I say I quit just because I'm tired that would put all of my efforts down the drain and that's what I've been trying to avoid," Sugawara explained before he smiled softly. "You won't understand since you'll be hired instantly after you graduate but I had a hard time trying to get a job that fits me."

Tsukishima considered what Sugawara said. He nodded slowly and accepted it. "If that's what you want…then keep tiring yourself out. I won't stop you," Tsukishima said. He turned around and clicked his tongue when he realized how condescending he sounded.

Sugawara, on the other hand, smiled fondly as he stared at the blond male who was walking away. He knew that the younger male was worried so he didn't feel angry or irritated. Chuckling to himself, Sugawara followed the taller male inside and closed the door behind him.

* * *

"Can you pass me the sugar?"

"Here."

"This is your hand. I asked for sugar."

"I'm your sugar."

Oikawa and Kageyama groaned at the couple in front of them. They covered their faces and grunted in irritation while Hinata and Miho observed Tsukishima and Sugawara. They beamed at the two and supported them whole-heartedly. Tsukishima smirked at the reaction he got while Sugawara chortled.

"You two…cut it out," Kageyama said as he ate his food with annoyance.

"What? Jealous? Do the same thing with your boyfriend then," Tsukishima provoked.

"Fuck off." Kageyama flipped Tsukishima off.

Hinata quickly covered Miho's eyes and told her not to copy the things that Kageyama said or did. Sugawara huffed in pride as he showed a look of content. Oikawa saw this so he decided to do something about it.

"You look happy. What you did was cute but I'm cuter," Oikawa said.

"What? I'm cuter," Sugawara retorted. "And Tsukki as well."

Oikawa scoffed and pulled Kageyama close. "He can have the cute but Tobio-chan is hot!" he exclaimed.

"Tsukishima is hot as well!" Sugawara countered.

"Tobio-chan is hotter! Have you seen him playing volleyball? He's a whole meal!"

"Tsukishima will soon be a doctor and guess what? Doctors are hot!"

"Buuuuut, Tsukki's not a doctor yet!"

"Shut up!"

"You shut up!"

"Shut up!" Miho shouted, silencing the two males who were showing their respective partners off.

Hinata gaped at Miho before clapping his hands. "Miho-chan, you did great!" Hinata cheered while Miho huffed in satisfaction. At least she stopped the argument between the two men.

The others watched the two until Oikawa recalled someone. He leaned on his seat and looked at the corridor and towards the room near the entrance which was Iwaizumi's room.

"Hmm... Iwa-chan's still sick, huh? It's been two days… this is unusual." Oikawa mused out loud before he returned his attention to his food.

Sugawara side-eyed Oikawa before blinking when he recalled something. "Someone's gonna visit us," Sugawara informed calmly.

The rest looked at him, eyeing him to tell who was visiting the share house. Sugawara simply grinned slyly as he placed a finger over his lips before he glanced briefly at Hinata.

"Hinata will be happy to see who the visitor is," he said which puzzled the others even more. Sugawara's statement did not help with giving out a clue as to who was visiting since Hinata could be happy that anyone was visiting, the shortest male in the house was even happy when a new neighbor visited so the others couldn't exactly figure out who would come to their share house.

As the others were thinking, Iwaizumi trudged towards the kitchen. He had a mask on and looked really ill. When his housemates noticed him, they sent him an empty look. Iwaizumi was tempted to leave immediately. He didn't leave though. He had to eat.

"…Food..." Iwaizumi ended up saying only one word because of how rough his throat was.

Kageyama raised an eyebrow before he handed Iwaizumi a glass of water. Oikawa felt bad so he handed a piece of bread to his childhood friend. Sugawara looked at the sickly man pitifully while Tsukishima sent a commiserative look towards the older male. On the other hand, Miho and Hinata didn't know what to do so they merely watched as the scene unfolded in front of them.

"Uh... do you need more food?" Hinata finally asked.

Iwaizumi stared at him and nodded.

The shorter male hummed in response before smiling worriedly. "You can rest then. We'll just leave the food outside your room," Hinata assured as he gestured for the older male to go back to his room and rest.

Iwaizumi stood still for a second before slightly bowing and leaving the area. The group observed him and hoped that he wouldn't faint. Iwaizumi was groggily heading to his room when he heard a knock on the front door. The others heard it as well so they looked at the entrance and waited for Iwaizumi to open the door. The sickly male slowly twisted the door knob before pulling it open.

As the door creaked open, Hinata kept his eyes on the door. Once Iwaizumi opened the door and stared at the person who knocked, Hinata gawked at the man in the entryway. He gasped and covered his mouth before lowering it.

"Whoa! It's you!" Hinata sprang up as the man at the entryway smirked at the orange-haired male. Hinata soon beamed before trotting to the front door.

* * *

Iwaizumi leaned on the couch as he eyed the visitor. Hinata was awfully close to the visitor but it wasn't like Iwaizumi was envious. Not at all! Iwaizumi was just suspicious.

"I didn't expect to see the three of you here," the visitor, Kuroo Tetsurou, said as he smiled slyly. "Suga didn't tell me about you guys."

Tsukishima raised an eyebrow as he heard Kuroo say Sugawara's name. Suga? The blond male couldn't help but think if the two were close. He wouldn't have expected the gray-haired male to get close to someone sly like Kuroo.

"Did it shock you?" Hinata questioned eagerly.

Kuroo nodded, amused by the shorter man's reaction. Ever since Kuroo had entered the share house, it felt like he was trespassing in someone's territory and upon further inspection, Kuroo found out about one thing. He recalled when Sugawara said that Hinata rejected someone and observed the men in the room. At first, he had a feeling that it was Kageyama but the volleyball player didn't look affected so Kuroo glanced at Tsukishima and to no surprise, the blond looked unfazed with Hinata. Kuroo then stared at the brunette that seemed oddly familiar and found that he seemed to be attached to Kageyama. And that left Kuroo with one person. The sick one who answered the door. After further observation, Kuroo got it right. He also got the two new males' names. As of now, it piqued Kuroo's interest.

"I was here to get Suga to work for a new app as a developer since Akaashi was keen on getting him," Kuroo stated causing the others to let out a long "ah" after the understood why the male was here.

"Tell Akaashi, I won't work with him. I'm satisfied with my job," Sugawara refused, earning him a scrutinizing gaze from a certain blond.

"Aw... and I cleared my schedule for the next three hours just to get rejected by you." Kuroo emphasized the word "rejected" and carefully but sneakily observed Iwaizumi who sent him an icy stare. Kuroo huffed before feigning sadness.

Sugawara saw this act so he pondered over why the man was acting like that and when he finally caught on, Sugawara kept the urge to sigh. Kuroo would cause awkwardness within the group if he tried to provoke Iwaizumi.

Kuroo gazed at Hinata and faked a gasp when he saw the ginger. "Hinata... since I'm free for the next three hours," Kuroo smirked cunningly, "let's go out."

Oikawa and Sugawara froze while Kageyama and Tsukishima stared at Iwaizumi. But the sickly man clenched his hands and kept his calm. Iwaizumi didn't care. He didn't so there was no need to get affected.

"Huh? But..." Hinata looked unsure.

"For coffee, Imean," Kuroo added.

Hinata hummed in response as he considered it. Kuroo was about to say something else when Iwaizumi suddenly coughed loudly. Hinata glanced at the ill man and furrowed his eyebrows in concern.

"Are you alright?" Hinata queried and was about to approach Iwaizumi when the sick male raised his palm.

"I'm fine." Iwaizumi spoke roughly he then added, "Let me just sit here for a while. I love the couch."

Hinata didn't really understand why the older man loved the couch but he let it slide. 'Iwaizumi is sick so he might not be thinking straight,' Hinata thought. Afterwards, he stared at Kuroo and smiled softly.

"You were saying something. What was it?" Hinata asked.

"Ah! It was about you! I wanted to know if you're dating anyone," Kuroo grilled.

The men in the share house wanted to push Kuroo away but that was not how you treated your guest besides, Kuroo, although he didn't look like it, was a doctor and a popular one at that and the housemates knew better than to mess with someone famous. Kuroo was known and admired in Japan after he graduated as the top ranked student in his class and because of his intelligence and looks, he was asked to appear in variety shows as a guest and the women in Japan liked him. The housemates couldn't push the well-known doctor away, they might start something bad.

Hinata, on the other hand, didn't care about who Kuroo was. He was stunned to hear the question so he just chuckled and shook his head before saying, "I don't think I'm allowed yet."

The men inside the share house gaped at Hinata. What the hell was the meaning of that?

"You're not allowed yet? Why? You're twenty-four going on twenty-five this year, why are you not allowed?" Kuroo interrogated.

"Argh, forget about it! I don't wanna date right now!" Hinata waved his hands as if he was brushing the question away.

The rest stared at him blankly.

"Okay, let's forget about that but would you go and get some coffee with me?" Kuroo smiled gently and waited for an answer.

Staying quiet for a few seconds, Hinata glanced at his housemates and found them looking at him patiently. Hinata then coincidentally glanced at Iwaizumi so he paused for a while before bowing slightly then saying, "I'll be going then. I need to buy something outside too so I'll just go with Kuroo-san."

Iwaizumi coughed before he nodded. He motioned the ginger to go so Hinata beamed and told the doctor to wait for him outside. Kuroo agreed and said goodbye to the others before leaving but not before sending Iwaizumi a content smirk which annoyed the sickly male. Once the doctor left, Hinata went to his room to get his things while the others were left in the living room. Iwaizumi stayed unmoved before punching and kicking the air.

"Miho thinks that we should leave," Miho stated so the men nodded and went to their rooms.

Iwaizumi glared at the ceiling and hated that he had to get sick now of all days. If he wasn't sick, he would be at work and if he was at work, he wouldn't be seeing Kuroo doing what Iwaizumi wanted to do. Iwaizumi huffed and heard Hinata rush to the kitchen. This made the sick man glance at the kitchen before an idea entered his mind. He stood up and went to the kitchen. He found Hinata observing the refrigerator so Iwaizumi cleared his throat catching the younger man's attention.

"Oh? What is it? Do you need something?" queried Hinata.

"No, still... you might've rejected me but we," Iwaizumi took a deep breath and continued, "could still talk about the sudden and shocking peace treaty between North Korea and South Korea. Both of us are close to the two countries after all so let's keep our guards up."

Hinata blinked in stun. Iwaizumi kept his gaze firm and hoped that the younger male believed him. It was the only way he would get Hinata to stay in the share house and if he failed, he couldn't accept the visualization of a certain black-haired doctor smirking at him. Iwaizumi observed Hinata and saw the ginger sheepishly smiling.

"Actually... I'm not good with talks like that," Hinata mumbled.

"Really? Oikawa and I talk about this sort of thing a lot," Iwaizumi replied, sincerely wishing that Hinata would stay.

"Oh? Then why don't you talk to him about this? He's much better after all."

"No! He has Kageyama so I need to talk to someone else."

Hinata considered it and paused for a while. He warily glanced at Iwaizumi before rushing to take a seat then motioning for the sickly male to sit as well. Once both of them were seated, Hinata grinned as he leaned closer.

"When they said that in the news, I was really shocked! We have a bad past with South Korea but I couldn't help but feel worried about them! I mean... it's not like I'm judging North Korea but I kinda feel like the president of the North is conning us. That's just an assumption of course! I hope it doesn't become real! And besides..." Hinata halted his rant when he found Iwaizumi taking a nap while sitting. The ginger stopped smiling and observed the man in front of him. Iwaizumi looked flushed so Hinata reached his hand out to check his temperature. When he sensed how warm the male was, Hinata heaved a sigh and pushed himself up before he walked near the flu-ridden male.

"Hey, wake up. Don't sleep here and sleep in your room." Hinata softly pushed as he spoke in a hushed tone.

Iwaizumi grunted and felt himself huffing and puffing while his body ached. He eyed the shorter male apologetically and said, "Sorry for keeping you here for long... you can go now. I'll be fine." His actions earlier dawned on him. Iwaizumi felt bad so he just let the orange-haired male leave. He laid his head down the table and waved for Hinata to go ahead.

This didn't ease Hinata though. He stared at the older male concernedly and after a few seconds, he just let it be.

"I'm leaving. Go to your bed later. If I get back and you're still here, I'll personally drag you," Hinata warned before turning around and exiting the house.

Iwaizumi was left alone in the kitchen with his head spinning and his body in pain. He grumbled under his breath before attempting to stand up.

* * *

"I'm home!" Hinata shouted as he entered the house with a huge paper bag in his arms.

Kageyama narrowed his eyes and approached the shorter male before taking the bag. Before Hinata could say something, Tsukishima stood up and went near the two to get a glimpse of what was inside the bag. Kageyama and Tsukishima soon paused when they saw what it was.

"Did you buy all of this? I thought you were saving money?" Tsukishima probed.

"I was! Kuroo-san bought it for me and told me to eat healthily! I refused but he kept insisting!" Hinata explained, angered by how the two taller men snatched the bag away from him. What if the tray of eggs inside broke?

"Why are you angry? We just want to know what you did with Kuroo-san!" Kageyama scoffed as he shook his head in disapproval.

"Why do you even want to know?! Both of you are so annoying!" Hinata yanked the paper bag and tried to kick the two men but the two avoided his kick and headed to the couch.

Meanwhile, Sugawara chuckled at the three while Oikawa mused about the three younger men.

"Those three really act like brothers," Oikawa thought out loud causing Sugawara to hum in agreement.

Hinata went to the kitchen and gently dropped the paper bag on the table. He pulled all of the groceries out and started humming a small tune. While he was taking all of the foodstuffs out, he stumbled upon a pair of lemons. Hinata eyed the fruit before remembering why he bought it. He beamed and chose to make some warm lemon juice instead of putting all of the stuff inside the refrigerator.

Afterwards, Hinata headed to a certain sick male's room. Quietly opening the door, Hinata peered inside and saw that the male was sleeping. He closed the door behind him before treading towards the bed. After that, he placed the glass of lemon juice on the nightstand. Hinata was leaving when he stopped and decided to turn around. He scanned the sleeping male and tried to see if he was still sick and as he did, he felt a small pinch in his chest and although it was small, it was repeatedly attacking him. Hinata let out a melancholic sigh and hoped that the male was asleep.

"I would be really glad if you could find someone else. Please don't waste your time on me," Hinata murmured and bit his tongue in the end. He sincerely prayed that Iwaizumi wasn't awake. If he was, Hinata would skydive off the roof to avoid the shame.

Iwaizumi stirred in his sleep making Hinata flinch. Soon, Iwaizumi opened his eyes and he gazed at the younger male warmly. "What are you saying? Do you think it's easy to stop liking someone?" Iwaizumi asked as he tried to sit up.

Hinata blushed hard when he heard that. "S-So you heard it?" Hinata asked before covering his face in embarrassment.

Iwaizumi couldn't help but smile in amusement. His body was still aching but it felt better somehow. "I wasn't asleep, besides, who talks to someone who's sleeping? That's stupid," Iwaizumi commented although he had done that before.

Hinata huffed and softly glared at the male. "Just drink the lemon juice! And I said that for your sake." Hinata then mumbled something incoherent.

"Even so, I can't stop liking you so don't expect me to like someone else for a while," Iwaizumi countered and with that said, he looked at the glass placed on his nightstand. He reached out to take it but when he touched it, the glass was too hot so he flinched and accidentally pushed it over the nightstand. Hinata gawked at what the older male did while Iwaizumi froze. Slowly, he stared at Hinata who seemed to have something dark surrounding him.

"Kuroo-san told me that he'll pay for the lemons but I said that I'll pay for it since I'll be giving it to you..." Hinata blurted out grimly before adding, "And you just spilled it on the floor. The previous money I just spent on those lemons…you just wasted it."

Iwaizumi gulped. He had never felt more nervous seeing someone smaller than him.

"Sorry... I'll clean it," Iwaizumi apologized as he tried to stand up but before he could, Hinata glared at him.

He coldly said, "No. Stay in bed. I'll clean it."

Sensing how icy the younger male's voice was, Iwaizumi tried to stop Hinata by calling out to him but the younger male had already turned around and was exiting the room.

Unknown to the sick male, Hinata actually had a small smile plastered on his face with his cheeks slightly dusted with pink.


	18. Obviously, I'm Worried

"Why are you here?" Iwaizumi grilled.

On his way out to work, he had coincidentally met with Kuroo who was on his way to meet Hinata. Again. It was as if the black-haired doctor was keen on meeting with Hinata every day until the ginger went back to teaching next Monday.

"As usual, I want to see Hinata," Kuroo answered.

"He isn't here. Go visit him some other time," Iwaizumi retorted.

"He isn't? Who cooked that bento then?" Kuroo pointed at the lunchbox that Iwaizumi had yet to put in his bag.

Iwaizumi glared at the black-haired doctor and folded his arms. "Are you serious with him? You look like you're messing around. Just to remind you, Hinata has a lot of problems so don't try and give him more," Iwaizumi threatened.

Kuroo scoffed and smirked deviously. "Why would I do that? All I want to do is support him besides, if you think about it, I can be more of help to Hinata than you," Kuroo said before he added, "I have a higher salary, people know me, I'm attractive as well, and to top it off, I'm a surgeon and what does Hinata need right now? A surgeon for his mother. What do you have?" Kuroo crossed his arms as well and waited for Iwaizumi to say something.

Grinning slyly, Iwaizumi said, "I live with him."

Kuroo huffed when he heard that. He reconsidered his own strengths and scoffed for the second time. "Oi! Do you think living with him is the same as climbing the fifth level in a relationship?" Kuroo queried out of irritation.

"No, but it certainly puts me at an advantage. The one closer to him is the one who gets to know him best and in return, he'll get to know me as well. What about you? What will he do with you if he doesn't know who you really are?" Iwaizumi snapped back.

Kuroo chuckled darkly. The doctor couldn't believe this. He rubbed the bridge of his nose before gazing at Iwaizumi competitively. "Okay... let's see who among us wins. The prize is the shrimp," Kuroo stated.

"No, go play by yourself," said Iwaizumi. "I won't play with you and I won't treat Hinata as a prize. This isn't a game." After that, Iwaizumi left Kuroo behind.

The doctor let out a sigh before he pulled his phone out and dialed a number. He placed it beside his ear and waited for an answer. Once the person answered, Kuroo grinned.

"Oi, it's about Iwaizumi Hajime. Where are you?" Kuroo asked. A voice could be heard talking from the phone and after a while, Kuroo got an answer. He let out a long "ah" before he chuckled light-heartedly.

"So you were there! Let's talk about that Iwaizumi then! I have something to tell you about him." Kuroo smirked as he fixed his tie.

* * *

It was 5 in the evening and Iwaizumi was in the share house when all of a sudden, Hinata was called by Kuroo to go out for dinner.

"Should I go? I have to cook for all of you though," Hinata pondered out loud as he stared at Kuroo's name on his phone.

Sugawara motioned for him to go before he said, "It's fine, 'tis fine! I'll cook for tonight."

"Really? You guys wouldn't mind, right?" Hinata asked, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

Iwaizumi didn't like the sight. "What about your work?"

"I don't have work today!" Hinata replied.

"You're going to leave Miho behind?" Iwaizumi questioned.

"Miho is hanging out with the family upstairs! They're getting along well!"

"Well... I need to talk to you." Iwaizumi ended up blurting out a lie. He really didn't have anything to talk about to the younger male but it was the only way Hinata would stay. Once again, Iwaizumi knew that he was being childish. But he didn't care.

"Oh? What is it?" Hinata sat back down on the couch and waited for the older male to speak.

Iwaizumi clenched his hand and thought about anything to discuss with the shorter male but to no avail, he had no idea what to talk about. Iwaizumi sat still and kept his gaze on the television. When he saw a whale, his mind suddenly produced a brilliant topic to talk about. Facing Hinata, Iwaizumi smiled gently before he said, "I want to hear your opinion about the endangered whales."

Sugawara stifled a snort as he covered his mouth. He kept quiet and watched what Hinata would say.

"Eh? Whales? They're cute but why do we need to talk about them?" Hinata queried.

"You might've rejected me a _little_ bit too fast but we could still talk about the world's environmental concerns. We're adults after all so it's only natural that we talk about issues like these." Iwaizumi spoke seriously so Hinata hummed in response before nodding with a grin.

"Whales, huh? I guess I feel bad about them being killed. They're just huge animals with weird voices but I don't understand why some people feel like killing them. Isn't that bad? It's like humans are the real toxic thing in this world but don't get me wrong! I love people but sometimes we're a bit wrong to other animals. Who knows if those animals actually have feelings! If they do, then that means we're bad," Hinata ranted and sighed at the unfortunate situations of animals.

Iwaizumi stared at the male and nodded. It was as if Hinata had something more to say but couldn't say it because he was holding back. Iwaizumi didn't mind though. The younger male could be talking about anything and Iwaizumi would attentively listen.

"Ah! No way, I forgot that I have to meet Kuroo-san!" Hinata sprang up and hissed in irritation. He went to his room to grab his phone and wallet before rushing out.

"I'll be back before 8! Sugawara-san, you'll cook right?" Hinata asked for assurance.

Sugawara sent a thumbs up so Hinata grinned in relief before looking at Iwaizumi.

"I'll be going ahead! Excuse me!" Hinata bowed before he dashed out of the share house.

Sugawara and Iwaizumi eyed the shorter male leave and once he was gone, Iwaizumi grunted. In the end, it didn't even matter. Hinata left even when they talked about endangered whales.

"You're gonna need to try harder than that," Sugawara said out of the blue.

Iwaizumi groaned and kept his attention towards the television. Like Iwaizumi didn't know that but he was also aware that it would seem weird if he attempted to pursue the orange-haired male when he had already been rejected so Iwaizumi simply let the events happen without attempting to do anything else to make Hinata stay.

After a few seconds of silence, Kageyama and Oikawa entered the house looking frustrated.

"What the...did you two fight again?" Iwaizumi asked as he scrunched his nose in disapproval.

"No, we didn't!" the two angered males shouted in unison.

Sugawara and Iwaizumi eyed the two with deadpan looks.

"What happened?" Sugawara asked calmly.

Kageyama scoffed and plopped down the couch while Oikawa sat beside him, looking threatening.

"There's this dumbass who broke Oikawa-san's phone," Kageyama said.

Oikawa groaned in anger as he kicked the air. The brunette then said, "That brat! He didn't even say sorry! He just went, heh! Then he ran away! How would I answer that call now? Inui told me that he had something to tell about Tobio-chan!"

"Just talk to him on email. Use your laptop," Iwaizumi suggested.

Oikawa considered it while Kageyama glanced at the brunette, interested about what Oikawa's coworker had to say about him. The black-haired setter guessed that it was about work before he pushed the curiosity away.

Soon, Tsukishima entered the house with Miho trailing behind him with a flat square thing in her hand. Sugawara and Oikawa narrowed their eyes and saw that it was a picture.

"Miho-chi, why are you carrying that?" Oikawa pointed at the picture.

Miho beamed cheerily before running to Kageyama. "Blueberry! Look at this, Miho has her class picture!" Miho waved her class picture so Kageyama couldn't see what was in the photo.

He grabbed the girl's hand and gripped it firmly so he could observed the picture carefully. Oikawa leaned closer to Kageyama and placed his head on the younger male's shoulder as he eyed the picture. The two kept quiet as they observed the class picture.

Meanwhile, Sugawara noticed one kid who looked familiar, he just couldn't pinpoint where he had seen the kid before. Tsukishima noticed that the ashen-haired male focused on one of the kids so he drew near Kageyama and yanked the photo away. Kageyama yelled at the blond but Tsukishima ignored him and kept his eyes on the boy.

"Miho, what's this kid's name?" Tsukishima asked as he showed the photo to the young girl.

Miho narrowed her eyes for a few seconds before she blinked.

"Oh! That's Seta!" Miho exclaimed.

Sugawara froze at the name as he gaped at his niece. "Seta... is that his first name?" he asked, desperately praying that it was the young boy's first name.

Miho smiled before she shook her head and said no.

Sugawara yelled in disbelief, making his housemates flinch in shock before they gawked at the gray-haired male. "Argh! That's my boss' son!" Sugawara declared.

Tsukishima raised an eyebrow before asking, "The one who always scolds you?"

"No, not that one. The more superior one," Sugawara corrected.

Tsukishima nodded as he observed his partner carefully. Out of the blue, Sugawara's phone rang and when he checked it, it was none other than the manager who liked scolding him. Sugawara grunted before excusing himself. Oikawa and Kageyama kept their attention towards Sugawara before they went back to the picture.

"So Shou-chan knows this kid, huh? Miho-chi, is this Seta close to Shou-chan?" Oikawa grilled.

"Yeah! Seta likes Shou-kun too much! I hate him because of that," Miho said, stunning the others.

The adults stared at the child warily as they felt that they were with a girl who would become possessive in the near future.

"If Shou-chan figured out his impact on others, I'd be really happy," Oikawa thought out loud.

Iwaizumi huffed in annoyance before ignoring his childhood friend and returning his gaze to the television.

"Do you want me to do something about your phone?" Kageyama questioned.

Oikawa smiled softly before stroking his partner's hair. He then said, "Don't worry about me and just go practice even more."

Kageyama nodded without a second thought. The obedience Oikawa received stunned him so cupped Kageyama's cheek and inched closer to give him a peck. Kageyama let it happen without resisting. Oikawa soon fussed at how adorable the younger male was being. Miho and Iwaizumi watched the two with a pair of scrutinizing eyes.

Iwaizumi grabbed a pillow and repeatedly smacked Oikawa with it before he shouted, "Stop displaying your affection here! Go get a room!"

As that happened, Tsukishima, on the other hand, went out to go talk to Sugawara about something. Sugawara gestured for the blond to wait as he talked to his manager but as the blond male waited, Tsukishima certainly didn't like what he was hearing or seeing. Sugawara was beyond frustrated and if the ashen-haired man's manager was a mere stranger, Tsukishima was a hundred percent sure that Sugawara would have thrown shade at his manager a long time ago.

"But sir, that isn't my job. I'm sorry but I won't do your work for you," Sugawara spoke politely. He had had enough so he had to find a way to say his piece of mind without sounding rude.

The manager was yelling loud enough now that Tsukishima could hear him clearly from the phone. "What? Hey, do you think I have only one responsibility? I have lots of things to do as well! When I was your age, I worked hard to get to the place where I am now so if you want a good career, you have to suck it up!" Sugawara's manager scolded.

Sugawara sighed and pulled the phone away from his ear before groaning. He rubbed his temples and pushed his hair back. His manager's words made sense but Sugawara couldn't help but feel doubtful. Did having a bad attitude and a manipulative personality get his manager to his current position as well? Sugawara clicked his tongue and placed his phone back to his ear.

"I apologize sir. It won't act like this again. Just send me the files and I would work on it as soon as possible," Sugawara said.

"As soon as possible?" the manager probed.

"I mean, I'll do it immediately," Sugawara corrected himself. After that, his manager hung up so Sugawara glared at his phone before turning it off and pushing it inside his pocket. He looked in Tsukishima's direction and smiled tiredly.

"Sorry about that. What did you wanna say?" Sugawara asked softly.

Tsukishima could sense the exhaustion laced with Sugawara's words. The blond male pushed his glasses up before turning around and opening the door. He entered the house, baffling Sugawara. The ashen-haired male followed him inside nonetheless. Soon the two were at the living room with Oikawa and Iwaizumi bickering while Kageyama played the dinosaurs and ships with Miho.

"Miho, tell us where that Seta lives," Tsukishima demanded coolly. Miho raised an eyebrow and asked why. The blond merely said, "We'd like to meet him." Everyone in the room gasped when Tsukishima said that.

"Tsukishima, what are you doing?" Sugawara uttered.

"We'll talk to him about your manager," The blond male spoke confidently.

Sugawara huffed before saying no. "We won't do that! Why would you even suggest this?" Sugawara asked as he shook his head in shock.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm worried about you. I think people should treat you right."

The living room went quiet. All of a sudden, Miho accidentally pushed her ship so the first thing that came out of her mouth was, "Ah, my ship sailed."

After that, Sugawara covered his face in shame while Tsukishima smirked at the reaction. Hopefully, the statement he made would be enough to convince Sugawara to talk about his harsh manager. Oikawa chortled while Kageyama gaped at what he witnessed. Tsukishima being considerate? That was rare and Kageyama was there to witness it.

"Argh, why are you like this?" Sugawara lowered his hands and calmed himself before he queried, "You worry too much about me, you know that?"

"That's obvious. I'm your boyfriend," Tsukishima instantly countered shamelessly.

Sugawara covered his face for the second time and cried in embarrassment as he turned around to calm himself. Tsukishima was more than amused.

"God, those two... look at them being sweet. It's almost disgusting," Oikawa mused out loud while his arm was slung over Kageyama's shoulders, keeping the younger male close to him.

Miho wanted to point out that Oikawa and Kageyama were doing the same thing but kept quiet instead. Iwaizumi sent the two couples a blank look. Good for them, Iwaizumi thought. At least they were happy and weren't being as noisy as normal. Iwaizumi, although he could almost feel like he was getting diabetes because of the amount of sugar in the area, was truly happy for the couples.

"Okay! Okay! I get it, I'll talk to the boss tomorrow," Sugawara told his partner, causing Tsukishima to smirk.

"While you're at it, tell him that you're quitting as well," Tsukishima added.

Sugawara was midway into nodding when he realized what the taller male said. "What?! I wouldn't do that!" he exclaimed.

"That manager of yours isn't treating you right. Akaashi-san's company would."

"How do you even know that?"

"The university hospital that I go to is where Kuroo-san works. He talked to me about Akaashi-san's company while I was at the hospital."

"He probably did that so you could convince me! I shouldn't have told him that we're dating!"

The three men eyed Tsukishima and Sugawara. They should've brought popcorn if they were going to witness a fight between two roast masters but at this rate, it would be impossible since the two men looked like they were arguing with the problem, not with each other. It wasn't as spicy as roasting each other but it was still amusing to watch the two sass masters look so unprofessional. Iwaizumi stood up and hushed Kageyama and Oikawa to go out of the share house for the meantime. He could sense something was coming up. The three males obediently went out of the house so Miho glanced briefly at her two favorite people before following her other favorite people. Once Tsukishima and Sugawara were left alone, they felt the air becoming gloomy.

"Sugawara-san, I think you're missing the point," Tsukishima retorted, his tone shifting to serious.

"I think you're the one missing the point," Sugawara countered. He took a deep breath and said, "I worked my ass off just to get that job and I just can't quit it that easily. I thought that you understood so why are we going over this stuff again?"

"Anyone would agree that a job where you don't get overworked and get shouted after you do their work for them is much more preferable. You're the only one troubling yourself when the answer has been right in front of you the whole time," Tsukishima replied, in the longest sentence he ever said after he moved in the share house.

"You wouldn't understand what I went through to get the job," Sugawara retaliated, his voice slightly rising.

"Right!" Tsukishima spoke with sarcasm. "I don't understand, that's why I'm not making a ridiculous choice like your decision!"

The living room was abruptly filled with a stiff and suffocating atmosphere. Sugawara huffed in disbelief when he heard what Tsukishima said. He pushed his hair back and heaved a deep sigh. Tsukishima turned around and removed his glasses before wiping them with his shirt. He was not enjoying the argument as much as when he pissed Hinata or Kageyama off. What was the difference between Tsukishima irritating Hinata or Kageyama and Tsukishima irritating Sugawara? The blond didn't know but he did not like the emotions he was feeling at their current spat.

Sugawara put a hand on his waist before he pointed at himself and said, "My choice to have a job and to earn money so I can live financially stable just in case something bad happens... is a ridiculous choice? Is that what you're saying?"

Tsukishima put his glasses on and faced his partner. "You completely missed my point," he said with importance.

"Then explain it to me so I won't guess!" Sugawara snapped back with irritation.

Tsukishima scoffed and bit the inside of his cheek. He was trying to keep calm and Sugawara could see that. The ashen-haired male was trying to stay mature but his frustrations and stress were building up and he couldn't help but explode. He didn't like this as well, in fact, who would like fighting with their partner?

"You'd rather have a job where your manager hurls insults at you than a job where you can get comfortable and have your friends as your workmates. Really? Is that your choice? That's a stupid choice, if you're asking me... are you really that unreasonable?" Tsukishima spoke with a hint of disappointment. He scanned the older male's face carefully and saw that Sugawara seemed to be in pain from what Tsukishima said. The blond clicked his tongue and crossed his arms.

"Listen carefully to what I'll be saying because I'm only saying this now. Sugawara-san," Tsukishima paused and hesitated before continuing, "no one should put up with someone pathetic. Your manager is trash for degrading you when all you did was do your job and his job diligently. I won't repeat this a second time so you'd better be convinced by what I'm saying."

It took a few seconds of silence before Sugawara looked at the taller male gently. "Don't talk so impolitely to me," he said out of nowhere.

Tsukishima smirked at the retort. He had a feeling he had won.

"Kageyama talks impolitely to Oikawa-san all the time. I can do the same to my partner," Tsukishima responded smoothly.

Sugawara chuckled at this before he went to the couch and plopped down on it. He leaned and gave out a sigh as he reconsidered about what the blond male suggested.

"Yeah, I'm tired of not being able to snap back at my manager... I want to quit but there's no assurance if I could get another job like this but now that Akaashi's personally trying to convince me to work with him... maybe I should quit being an IT analyst and work as an application developer," Sugawara rambled on. He then smiled softly before glancing at Tsukishima.

"Okay, I'll quit my job but on one condition." Sugawara raised his index finger and grinned playfully.

Tsukishima should've expected this so he merely nodded and hoped that it wouldn't be anything absurd.

"Let's go on a date," Sugawara declared with his usual charming smile.

The tall blond thought about his schedule. Tsukishima would be entering his last two years of studying medicine under Kuroo's supervision with other medical students. He'd be busier and if Sugawara's date coincided with a busy day, he might not be able to go with the ashen-haired male. To top it off, he only could take four days off per semester but he spent three of those already so he had one day off left. He could do something about that.

"When is it?" Tsukishima asked.

"Tomorrow, after I tell my boss about me quitting," Sugawara answered.

Tsukishima pieced the information together and thought about if he could make it. He had to go to the hospital tomorrow but he had a one hour break so he could sneak out and the date would ensue, although it would only last for an hour but that seemed more than enough for the blond.

"After you quit on your job, we'll meet at that cafe by the university at 1:30 then we'll end the date by 2:15." Tsukishima paused when he realized that it wasn't going to be a while hour. He only had forty-five minutes with the ashen-haired male since he needed time to get back to the hospital after all. So forty-five minutes was all he could spare, but it would have to be enough.

Sugawara observed the blond male and raised an eyebrow. "That's not very long…are you busy with your studies?" he questioned.

Tsukishima nodded and explained that it was his last two years so he would be attending the university hospital to be a medical intern. Sugawara understood this so he accepted that they would only get a forty-five minute date. That seemed fair enough. With that solved, the two fell quiet. It was awkward after the argument. Who would console who? Who would speak first? Who would say sorry? The two didn't know.

Having had enough of the awkwardness, Sugawara pushed himself up and rushed towards the blond male. He clasped the younger male between his arms and tightly held still. He wanted to apologize but he didn't know how to start so, expectantly, he hoped this would start the conversation between them.

Sugawara was opening his mouth to apologize when Tsukishima said sorry first.

"What?" Sugawara blurted out.

"I'm apologizing," the blond replied.

Sugawara chuckled before tightening the hug even more. "If you're sorry, hug me back," he demanded playfully.

Tsukishima smirked before he audaciously hugged back. The ashen-haired male smiled fondly before muttering his apology. The two stayed that way until a certain dinosaur-loving girl decided to enter the share house.

"Is Miho's two favorite people alive and smiling now?!" Miho asked at the top of her voice.

Tsukishima and Sugawara winced away from each other when Miho dashed towards them. But they were, indeed, smiling.

* * *

"Sugawara-san, are you sure about this?" Mr. Seta queried as he stared at Sugawara's resignation letter carefully.

"Yes, sir. Someone else has offered a position for me as an application developer and I can't let it slide," Sugawara replied skillfully.

Mr. Seta nodded before he smiled at Sugawara. "Well then, it was nice working with you, Sugawara-san. I understand your worry of not wanting to tell your manager and although this is not the proper method to quit, I'll personally talk to your manager after this. You can go to HR for an exit interview," Mr. Seta said as he motioned to the door.

Sugawara bowed and thanked his boss one last time before he raised his head. He went out and headed to HR for the exit interview.

After the whole situation was fixed, Sugawara enthusiastically went to the cafe that the blond male asked him to wait at. He could practically feel himself bouncing up and down as he walked to the meeting place. Once he was there, Sugawara glanced at his watch. It was only 1 PM so he would be waiting for thirty minutes. Sugawara kept patient and started playing on his phone. As he played on his phone, he recalled the application that he would be helping develop. It was a dating app and it was a big hit in Japan so far. Sugawara buzzed with excitement and leaned forward in his seat. He looked around to see if there was anyone familiar. When there was none, Sugawara returned his attention towards his phone.

But the wait was long. Too long.

Sugawara had been at the cafe for an hour now and still no sign of the tall bespectacled blond male. Sugawara looked at his phone and was tempted to call. Should he?

Abruptly, his phone vibrated and the calling screen appeared and showed Tsukishima's name. Sugawara held his chest out of shock and calmed himself before answering.

"Hey. Where are you? It's been an hour," Sugawara greeted.

"I can't... we should go on a date some other time," Tsukishima spoke in a hushed manner, various noises were in the background from beeping noises to rushed voices, from people walking around to sounds of cries.

Sugawara guessed that the blond was at the emergency room. He felt disappointment permeating his entire system and his bright smile earlier was replaced by a frown.

"Are you busy? I'm guessing you're at the emergency room?" Sugawara replied softly but it was undeniable that gloominess was dripping in his words.

An exhausted sigh could be heard before Tsukishima uttered a yes. "Sorry about this. Let's go out another day," he apologized.

"No, it's cool. I know that you're busy so good luck at your work! See you later!" Sugawara spoke cheerily. He heard the blond male hum in response before saying a small bye and after that, Tsukishima hung up. Sugawara stared at his phone glumly and sighed.

It was their first real date and yet Tsukishima couldn't come. Sugawara nodded in glum acceptance before he decided to head to where he'd soon work. He had some time to kill now anyway.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Suga... He's suffering too much, isn't he?**

 **I like realistic arguments so I hope you don't mind the argument scene. I watched MANY argument scenes on YT just to make a scene like that one and honestly, I think I did good with the fight between SugaTsukki. Yay!**

 **Also... IwaHina doesn't have scenes lately so please wait a bit. Thank you very much '^'**


	19. Just For You

"What? A female celebrity wants to meet Tobio-chan?" Oikawa spoke incredulously over the phone.

Kageyama was on the brunette's bed, watching something on his phone. He paused the video and glanced at Oikawa, interested in what he'd say next.

Oikawa furrowed his eyebrows and said, "Who is it? The female actress?"

No voice was heard for a few seconds. Kageyama sat on the bed and leaned closer to see if he could hear anything when Oikawa suddenly slammed his fist on his study table. Kageyama leaned back and merely watched the older male.

"You're saying... Komiya Ara wants to meet Tobio-chan tomorrow? And that she'll wait for him at the cafe near our house?" Oikawa asked for clarification. He felt a bit heated and irked but he kept his calm. "Inui... why would a famous actress make time for a volleyball player? You're making this up, aren't you?" he grilled while he crossed his fingers and hoped that his co-worker was only making it up.

The silence returned until Oikawa leaned back in his seat and clicked his tongue loudly.

"So that famous actress is Tobio-chan's friend from college? And she wants to reconnect? Okay, I'll talk to him and make him meet her. Yeah, thanks for telling me." After that, Oikawa hung up. He gently laid his phone down on the table and faced Kageyama serenely. He smiled softly and said, "Tobio-chan, do you want to have sex with me?"

Kageyama sprang up and exited the room without a second thought. Oikawa scoffed and stood up. He followed the younger male and found that Kageyama had gone to his own room. Oikawa went there and once he did, he closed the door behind him. Kageyama glared at him so Oikawa glared back.

"You'll be meeting your friend from college tomorrow. She'll be waiting for you at the cafe near our house. The one that has a bakery shop in front of it. She's expecting you to be there by 9 in the morning," Oikawa informed.

Kageyama narrowed his eyes and nodded. "Oikawa-san," Kageyama uttered unsurely, "what was that question about?"

The brunette huffed and folded his arms. "I said that out of irritation. Forget about it," Oikawa said jauntily.

Kageyama's eyebrows met as he narrowed his eyes at his partner. What did that mean? Why was Oikawa irritated? Had Kageyama done something bad again?

"Why?" Kageyama asked hesitantly.

Oikawa's eyes widened when he heard that. He covered his face and groaned loudly before he put his hands down and looked at Kageyama with a glint of annoyance. He observed the black-haired male carefully and seeing Kageyama, Oikawa realized that there was nothing to worry about or be jealous of. Kageyama was a trustworthy person so Oikawa had nothing to feel concerned about. With that thought ingrained in his mind, Oikawa smiled fondly.

"No reason. I was just being stupid. Go meet Komiya Ara and have a reunion with her," Oikawa replied, softly this time.

Kageyama was baffled by the sudden change of attitude but he nodded nonetheless. He stared at the older male carefully before he moved for the exit. Oikawa noticed this so he leaned on the door.

"Oikawa-san, I'm going out. Move away from the door," Kageyama said.

Oikawa pouted when he heard that before he grinned playfully. "Password?" Oikawa queried.

Kageyama knew that they were at it again. The black-haired male wouldn't get out unless he guessed what Oikawa wanted to get and based on experience, the brunette usually wanted a kiss or a peck when he did something like this. Kageyama sucked a sharp breath before he tugged on the taller man's collar. Their lips collided and Oikawa felt a bit too happy. He snaked his arms around the younger male's waist and pulled him close. Kageyama had to let go of Oikawa's collar so he could put his hand on the door behind the brunette because if he didn't, his body would get too close with the older male and Kageyama wasn't that used to that kind of skinship yet.

And so the peck became a kiss. A long and heated one. But not until someone knocked on the door.

Oikawa felt irritated by the person who knocked on the door and as a result, accidentally bit on Kageyama's lower lip, making the younger male wince. Kageyama pulled away and glowered at the brunette. Oikawa realized what he had done so he was quick to console him.

"Did it hurt?" the brunette asked.

"I wouldn't flinch if it didn't!" Kageyama exclaimed.

"Oi! Get outta there! What're you two doing?! You two better not be doing what I think you're doing!" Sugawara's voice resounded loudly outside.

Oikawa hissed in frustration. Why couldn't he get some alone time with his Tobio-chan? Was that so hard to ask for?

Angrily, Oikawa opened the door and pulled it open. He glared at Sugawara and said, "Do you have to interrupt us when we're having our alone time?"

Sugawara smiled sweetly and replied, "As long as you're here, you'll get interrupted. You two won't get any proper alone time."

"It's not like anyone in this house interrupts you when you're inside Tsukki's room!" Oikawa retaliated.

"Oh really? Why don't you try then?" Sugawara retorted.

Oikawa clenched his hand in submission. Anybody in the share house knew that if they interrupted the two sass masters' intimate time, they'd get roasted like a chicken on the grill so no one attempted to do it. It was unfair but Oikawa surrendered and huffed before leaving the room.

Sugawara smiled with content before glancing at Kageyama. "Sorry for interrupting your time," Sugawara started. "I just came here to ask you about Hinata since he isn't home yet."

Kageyama paused before his faced morphed into anger. "That dumbass isn't home yet? Where is he? He's on summer break so he shouldn't be out this late." Kageyama groaned as he pulled his phone out to send a message to the orange-haired male.

"It's already 5 in the evening. He has work at 6 so he should be home by now." Sugawara spoke with concern.

Hinata had gone out with Kuroo this morning to hang out. Sugawara knew that nothing bad would happen since it was Kuroo and as sly as the doctor was, Sugawara was sure that Kuroo wouldn't do anything bad to the orange-haired male but still, the ashen-haired male couldn't help but get worried and suspicious. He brought his phone out and went to his contacts. He searched for Kuroo's name and once he found it, he swiped to call.

Sugawara stared at his phone patiently. The calling screen displayed that the person answered the call so Sugawara placed it beside his ear.

"Kuroo, where's Hinata?" Sugawara asked immediately.

Kageyama looked at the older male and kept quiet.

"Really? So you're driving him home, huh? Why did it take both of you so long? I thought you guys were supposed to be back by 3," Sugawara said. He clicked his tongue when he heard Kuroo's response and bit back angrily.

"Stop bringing Hinata in your home!"

Kageyama froze. Kuroo was bringing Hinata home and the dumbass didn't say no? Kageyama clenched his hands. He eyed Sugawara and saw the look of relief. Kageyama was puzzled. Why did Sugawara look relieved? There was nothing to be relieved about! Hinata had been brought into someone's home, someone who was taller than him! What if that someone decided to do something bad to the ginger? That would be troublesome!

"Bring him home. I swear, if you don't..." Sugawara spoke threateningly before smiling. He nodded and said bye before he hung up.

"Sugawara-san, is the dumbass safe?" Kageyama questioned.

"Yeah! Why wouldn't he be safe? He's with Kuroo," Sugawara replied in a laidback manner before he went out of the room.

Kageyama grunted before he went out of his room as well.

Soon, it was 8 and Iwaizumi as well as Tsukishima were home after their work. Still, Hinata wasn't home.

"Shou-chan still isn't home," Oikawa mused out loud.

"Sugawara-san, call Kuroo-san again," Kageyama insisted.

Sugawara grabbed his phone and dialed Kuroo's number.

"Why does Sugawara-san need to call Kuroo-san?" Tsukishima asked as he plopped down beside the ashen-haired male.

Iwaizumi went to the other side of the gray-haired male and sat down as he watched the television which was showing the news for tonight.

"Kuroo's been with Hinata a while now. He said that Hinata went to his work instead of going home since there wasn't time for him to come back here beforehand," Sugawara informed.

Oikawa hummed as he grasped the statement. Hinata didn't rest and just went to straight to work instead. 'Typical Hinata,' Oikawa thought.

"I can't help but feel worried though. What if Hinata isn't at the bar?" Sugawara suddenly said. The others stared at him with confusion.

"Someone should go to the bar and check if Hinata's there," Sugawara suggested.

Oikawa hid his smirk while Tsukishima understood where this was going. The three sneakily glanced at Iwaizumi and caught him focused on the television. Oikawa scrunched his nose before grabbing a pillow and hurling at his childhood friend's face. Oikawa cackled when he hit Iwaizumi in the face. Kageyama glanced at his partner and wondered why he had to be childish all the time.

Iwaizumi took the pillow that fell on the ground. He clutched it tightly before gazing at Oikawa with empty eyes.

"I won't go check if Hinata's at his work," Iwaizumi straight-up refused although Oikawa hadn't even asked him yet.

The others paused before Sugawara clapped his hands, catching everyone's attention. "No one wants to check if Hinata's at the bar. Okay then..." Sugawara smiled before he called out to Miho. The young girl exited Tsukishima's room with a dinosaur in hand. She rushed to her uncle and beamed childishly.

"Miho, Hinata isn't here yet. What do we do? Should we check if he's at the bar?" Sugawara asked.

"What? Shou-kun isn't home? Then check if he's at his work! He has to be safe!" Miho replied as her face shifted from happy to sad. "Check if Shou-kun is safe!" Miho cried as she tugged on Sugawara's pants.

"But I'm tired! Go ask Iwaizumi, if he wants to." Sugawara pointed at Iwaizumi, who froze upon realization of what was happening. Sugawara was using the kid to make Iwaizumi go check if the ginger was at the bar.

"Iwajime!"

There it was. Iwaizumi was sure that he would get bombarded with cries from the young girl. He'd get forced even though he was exhausted from work. Iwaizumi blankly stared at Miho.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Go to the bar where Shou-kun works! Go get him so he's safe!" Miho demanded.

Iwaizumi desperately ignored the young girl but when she full-blown cried, Iwaizumi sprang up and agreed. He stormed out of the house and made sure to make his housemates pay later. Iwaizumi grunted and headed for the bar.

When he got there, he swore that he wanted to leave and pretend like he hadn't seen Hinata.

The ginger was being handed a wig by his female boss.

"Come on! Last time, you said that you owe me so wear this wig just for tonight!" The female pushed the orange wig into Hinata's chest.

"I owe you but not in this way! I don't want to wear female clothes anymore!" Hinata pushed the wig away.

"You won't be wearing any female clothes! Just this wig, okay?" she kept insisting.

"I don't wanna!" Hinata cried before he looked away, once he did, he halted.

Iwaizumi was inside the bar, watching with a deadpan expression. Hinata and his boss froze before they went away from each other and bowed to Iwaizumi. Hinata looked at his boss. She was a fellow teacher who owned the bar because she inherited it from her parents.

"Do you need something, sir?" she asked softly as she motioned for him to sit.

Iwaizumi observed the place and saw a group of businessmen drinking on one table and five students at another. He sighed and went to the counter then sat on the chair placed there.

"Can you serve me something strong?" Iwaizumi asked, obviously stressed.

The female, Yuri, stared at him before glancing at Hinata. If she recalled it correctly, the man in front of her had come to fetch Hinata when he was sick. Yuri smiled at Hinata before she placed the wig on the ginger's head. Yuri patted Hinata's shoulder before facing Iwaizumi.

"I assume you're stressed from work," Yuri said.

"Yeah and I got rejected as well," Iwaizumi added, which made Hinata tense.

Yuri noticed this so she walked up to the younger male before patting his shoulder. She smiled gently before she left him alone. Once she was gone, Hinata glanced briefly at Iwaizumi before he heaved a sigh and grabbed a bottle and a glass.

Iwaizumi rested his chin on his palm as he stared at the university students who were being noisy. He kind of missed when he was twenty-one. Kind of, since he had experienced something bad when he was that age and he didn't want to go through that again.

The sound of a glass being placed on the counter caught Iwaizumi's attention. He faced the bartender and saw Hinata standing there.

"Why did you give me red wine? I said something strong," Iwaizumi said.

"You'll become an alcoholic if you keep drinking every time you're stressed," Hinata replied.

Iwaizumi kept quiet and accepted the wine. He downed it in one shot and asked for another. He was about to ask why Hinata didn't remove the wig when some man sat beside him.

"Hinata, serve me the usual," the man said.

The orange-haired male grinned before he grabbed a bottle of alcohol. After a while, Hinata gave the glass and the man thanked him.

"Still can't find a job, Muri-san?" Hinata asked the man.

"Yeah... I can't find anything. I feel like I'm disappointing my wife every time the job I apply for rejects me," Muri muttered as he took a sip of his drink.

"Is that why you always drink here? Your wife will get worried if you stay out so late, you know," Hinata said as he wiped the counter and refilled Iwaizumi's glass with wine. Iwaizumi watched the two men converse. He guessed that Muri was a regular in the bar and Hinata was the one who would console him since the orange-haired male seemed to be good at it.

"Argh... my wife works and has a larger salary and I feel as if I've failed as a husband." Muri groaned as he rested his head on the counter.

Iwaizumi and Hinata glanced at each other before looking at the older male. Compared to Iwaizumi's troubles, this man seemed to be facing a larger problem. Iwaizumi bit his tongue and considered his situation. At least he had a job so he was on the fortunate side. Realizing this, Iwaizumi felt pathetic.

"I don't really know what to say, Muri-san. I guess, it will all work out somehow. Fight on!" Hinata cheered as he patted on the older man's shoulder.

Muri looked up and noticed the younger male's wig. "What the... why are you wearing a wig?" he queried.

Hinata chuckled sheepishly and kept quiet.

"I knew it! You're cheating on me!" A voice called from the bar entrance.

Iwaizumi and Hinata looked at the entrance while Muri froze.

"Oi, Muri! I knew you were drinking and hanging out with another woman! How dare you?!" Muri's wife, Setsuna, stomped to her husband and grabbed him by the collar before she pulled him away from Hinata. She glared at Hinata.

"You wench. Didn't my husband tell you that he's married and has kids?! Or did you know but you didn't care?" Setsuna interrogated with folded arms.

Iwaizumi was tempted to interrupt but he knew that women who were angry shouldn't be messed with. He merely sat and watched the moment occur. Hinata, on the other hand, gulped.

"No, ma'am. I'm—"

"Shut up! Don't explain yourself! You are a sick and disgusting person for doing this! Honestly, my children need a father and you're going to steal that from them?! I'm already stressed because my husband doesn't have a job and you're gonna add to my problems?! Are you fucking serious?!"

When Iwaizumi heard that, he froze. He recalled what Kageyama told him and Hinata's situation. From the very start, he was warned and even Tsukishima noted that he should've expected the rejection yet now, he was stressed and down because things weren't going his way but compared to Hinata's situation, Iwaizumi's problems felt insignificant and small.

"Ma'am, calm down please. Let me explain." Hinata spoke with a hint of franticness. He looked as if he was maintaining professionalism but once in a while, his face would show a hint of panic and fear.

Iwaizumi bit his lower lip and reached out to Hinata. He shamelessly pulled on the wig which fell. Once it did, Setsuna became quiet. Hinata gaped at Iwaizumi who showed a soft smile. The older ale then faced the infuriated woman.

"Your husband was here because he felt like he was disappointing you. He can't find a job and he's drinking his stress away. Hinata isn't a woman and he isn't having an affair with your husband so you don't have to worry. If you want to have a talk with your husband, go home and talk there," Iwaizumi said, used to fixing arguments and confrontations like these.

The married couple were ashamed of themselves so Setsuna faced Hinata and bowed lowly.

"I apologize! I really do! I was stressed and I couldn't compose myself! I'm really sorry!" She kept her head low as Hinata assured that it was okay. Muri bowed as well and said sorry for the commotion.

"No, it's fine! I sometimes get shouted at so it's cool! Just make sure to solve the problem you have at home, okay?" Hinata smiled awkwardly as he assured that it was fine with him.

The married couple apologized again before they exited the bar. Hinata kept composed until they were finally out of the place. Afterwards, Hinata slumped and covered his face. He groaned and kept his head low as he calmed himself. Hinata breathed deeply until he heard the sound of glass being moved on the counter. When he raised his head, he saw Iwaizumi handing him the glass of wine.

"You look like you need it," Iwaizumi said as he offered the wine to the younger male.

Hinata gulped before he took it and downed it. He normally didn't like drinking his troubles away but right now, he felt he should so that was what he did.

"Okay, let's drink, Iwaizumi-san! I won't get my payment for drinking but I don't care! Lezgo!" Hinata raised the glass and beamed at the man in front of him.

Iwaizumi smirked and accepted the offer. Soon, the two were downing shots without hesitation.

After a few hours of drinking, it was painfully obvious who was drunk and had no sense of morals anymore.

Yuri caught that Hinata was drinking so she panicked and told Iwaizumi that the orange-haired male had low tolerance with alcohol. She ushered the two to go home because it was clear that Hinata couldn't work properly anymore and since it was only an hour away from the bar closing, Yuri decided to do it on her own. That was why Iwaizumi and Hinata were waddling home with Hinata singing songs loudly. Iwaizumi could hold his booze so he still had some sense of social awareness with him.

"Iwaizumi-san! Let's shing something!" Hinata spoke incoherently. "What do you want? American songs? Our songs? Indian? China? Korea?" Hinata kept asking as he grinned when he recalled a song from South Korea.

He started singing it and Iwaizumi was left to guess how the hell Hinata could sing something in Korean if he didn't speak Korean. Iwaizumi observed the younger male and shushed him to be quiet so Hinata grinned and placed a hand beside his mouth, as if he would whisper something.

"Hey, I have something to tell," Hinata whispered and gestured for the older male to come close so Iwaizumi heaved a sigh and leaned down to the ginger. Hinata placed his hand on the taller male's shoulder so he could balance himself before tiptoeing to whisper in his ear.

Hinata then said, "Wait for me and I'll give a proper answer to your confession."

Iwaizumi kept silent. He blinked and leaned away as Hinata beamed at him.

"Whoa! Like every day, you look manly! Like, suuuuuuper manly! He-he-he... manly... man-ly... man... Lee? Man Lee? Who's that? Why did I say a stranger's name?" Hinata drunkenly rambled as he giggled, clearly out of his mind at the moment.

Iwaizumi closed his eyes and rubbed his temples before telling Hinata to keep walking. The ginger nodded childishly before shuffling ahead but as he did, he fell down on the street. Iwaizumi groaned loudly before approaching him. Once he did, he found out that Hinata had passed out. Iwaizumi cussed under his breath and carried Hinata like a sack of rice for the second time.

* * *

The morning Hinata woke up, his head was aching.

He stood up from his bed and struggled to do so. He had a hard time heading to the kitchen but once he did, he was faced by his housemates who were either smirking at him or staring disappointedly at him. Yeah, guess who did what.

"Argh, I drank too much," Hinata spoke roughly as he plopped down his seat.

"Yeah, I mean, if someone with low alcohol tolerance drank for four hours straight, of course they'd get a hangover. It's obvious," Oikawa teased.

Hinata grunted and laid his head down the table. At least he didn't do something bad from what he remembered. He just got drunk and he recalled that he sang songs loudly, spoke loudly, then fainted on the ground and had himself get carried by Iwaizumi. It wasn't that humiliating still, it probably troubled Iwaizumi so Hinata apologized to him. The older man simply nodded and said that it was fine before finishing his food and leaving for work.

The rest bid Iwaizumi goodbye before Oikawa sighed melancholically.

"Shou-chan, you shouldn't have drank." The brunette said before cleaning his plate and placing it in the sink. Hinata raised an eyebrow and observed the brunette.

"Where's Kageyama? Why isn't he with you?" Hinata grilled.

"Oh? Tobio-chan? He's meeting with a friend from college," Oikawa informed.

"Really? Who?"

"Komiya Ara."

"What?!"

"What?"

Oikawa and Hinata stared at each other with bafflement.

Sugawara observed them and sighed. "Oikawa, why did you let your boyfriend meet with his ex-girlfriend?"

Oikawa gasped. He covered his head and shouted in frustration.

"I knew it! Something smelled fishy! A celebrity wouldn't ask to meet Tobio-chan if they weren't close to him! God dang it!" Oikawa fussed as Hinata and Sugawara looked at him as if he was stupid, which he actually was.

Miho, on the other hand, laughed at the brunette's torture and foolishness.

"I have to go there! Now!" Oikawa rushed to his room but all of a sudden, Kageyama entered the share house with a gift in hand.

"Tobio-chan! Why are you here?" Oikawa probed.

"Ara just gave me this gift. She wants to be friends," Kageyama nonchalantly said.

"No, no, no! She doesn't want to be just friends! She means that maybe, you two could start hanging out again so the past feelings you had for each other would appear again and she'll go out with you," Oikawa said in a rush.

Kageyama scrunched his nose out of confusion.

"What? No. She wanted to be friends. If Ara wanted more, she would've told me. She's that kind of person besides," Kageyama paused as he gazed at the brunette, "I have you so I won't look for another one."

The brunette went red before he hugged his partner. He fussed about the younger male, much to Kageyama's irritation but he'd admit, being told he was cute and sweet sort of made Kageyama proud for some unknown reason.

Hinata, Sugawara, and Miho watched the two. They smiled with amusement before they returned back to eating.

After the late breakfast, the five housemates were once again sitting on the couch. They flicked through channels until something caught their attention. Oikawa narrowed his eyes when he saw Kageyama's name.

 _"Komiya Ara, Japan's sweetheart, was seen with a famous volleyball player, Kageyama Tobio. Fans instantly went to theorizing the sudden and unexpected meet-up and found some shocking information! Apparently, those two dated when they were in college so Komiya's fans were quick to assume that the two are still together while some people, who said that they knew the two in college, stated that those two broke-up and rejected the idea of them dating again. Nevertheless, it doesn't matter if they're dating or not! One thing's for sure, Komiya-san and Kageyama-san looked good together in the stolen picture and we're more than ready to support them if they come out in public."_

Oikawa observed the picture on the screen. It showed Kageyama, who was wearing an unbuttoned pale blue dress shirt that showed a plain white t-shirt underneath and black jeans, grabbing the wrapped gift that Komiya Ara was handing him. She was wearing a denim jacket with a pastel pink blouse that was tucked in her high-waist pink pencil skirt.

Oikawa was not amused.

Sugawara and Hinata coughed at the same time before they glanced briefly at one another. Sugawara switched the channel and saw that it was a news channel with the headline, "Is there something going on between Japan's sweetheart and Japan's favorite setter?"

Kageyama frowned.

"So..." Oikawa started as he faced Kageyama, "Now all of Japan probably thinks that you and Komiya Ara are going out."

"Uhhh, no. I'm going out with you," Kageyama replied as he leaned away.

Oikawa turned to Kageyama and frowned. "You better keep that in mind."

Sugawara and Hinata sighed. They knew that two would fight again and crossed fingers that they would solve their lover's spat swiftly.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Would you look at that? OiKage has a big problem. This fic only has 26 chapters and this would be the last conflict OiKage would face so yep! This fic is nearing it's end. But before it does, I'll mae sure that I resolve every single problems in this story~~~**


	20. X

Sugawara stared at Tsukishima blankly.

"So you can't go this Sunday as well?" Sugawara asked.

"Yeah, there's this kid that likes me so Kuroo-san told me to go to work every single day so he and the other students can talk to the kid more easily," Tsukishima explained as he fixed his books.

"Ahh, so Kuroo wanted you there all the time... I get it." Sugawara nodded before he smiled gently. "You better not cheat on me," he teased.

Tsukishima smirked at his joke and said, "I'm cheating on you with Kuroo-san."

Sugawara chuckled before muttering, "Sounds like NTR."

The two snorted after that. Comparing it to NTR seemed funny at the moment but Sugawara knew that he'd end up disgusted if the blond actually did it, especially to Sugawara himself. Thinking about it, Sugawara still hadn't had his first date with the tall blond who was busy with Kuroo instead. Now that wouldn't have been a problem, but the ashen-haired male was over-thinking the situation and as a result, he recalled that his relationship with Tsukishima wasn't serious at all. So if Tsukishima did decide to sleep with a certain black-haired doctor, Sugawara didn't know what he could say about the matter because surely, Tsukishima would counter with, "You and I weren't serious with our relationship anyway so it's not your choice what I do. You're pathetic." Or at least that was what Sugawara imagined.

That was why, Sugawara and Oikawa were sitting at the dining room table with serious looks on their faces. It was Sunday and the last day before Hinata would go back to teaching tomorrow. Sugawara and Oikawa had their arms crossed as they stared at nothing.

Hinata and Miho furrowed their eyebrows and wondered what was wrong with the two. Were they sad because their respective lover weren't in the share house and resting with them?

"Uh, Sugawara-san, are you—"

"Ugh! Tobio-chan! I can't believe him!" Oikawa teared up as he recalled that Kageyama went and met with Komiya again. He sobbed and stared at Hinata before bawling his eyes out. Hinata knew that the brunette was being dramatic again so he glanced at Sugawara, only to find him looking like he would also tear up.

"Tsukishima... our relationship... are we seriously dating?" Sugawara asked himself as he sniffed and wiped his eyes with a tissue.

Hinata gaped at the two. Miho watched them and tugged on Hinata's pants.

"What are they doing?" Miho asked.

"I don't know," Hinata answered.

Oikawa sniffed and leaned on Sugawara's shoulder while Sugawara patted the brunette's back to comfort him.

"Shou-chan, Suga... Tobio-chan wouldn't cheat on me, right?" Oikawa asked for assurance.

Sugawara nodded. "He won't cheat on you... but Tsukishima, he joked that he's cheating on me with Kuroo and I don't know if it's real." Sugawara spoke solemnly as he strongly patted Oikawa's shoulders to the point that it shouldn't be called a pat anymore since it was more like he was hitting the brunette.

Oikawa flinched in pain before pushing Sugawara away. "Oi! You're not patting me anymore, you're hitting me now!" Oikawa yelled as he rubbed his shoulder.

Sugawara smirked before downing the glass of water beside his plate.

"Are you two done with being dramatic?" Hinata asked.

"Yes," the two answered in unison.

Hinata smiled before moving to cleaning the table. He said, "Those two don't cheat on their partners. Trust me, I saw them date when we were in college and they never cheated on each other."

"Yeah, I know that. Tobio-chan isn't a person like that so there's nothing to worry about." Oikawa spoke as he ate his food.

"True. Tsukki wouldn't do that to me. I talked to Yamaguchi and he said that Tsukki dislikes the idea of cheating on someone so he won't do it," Sugawara uttered surely.

"Then, why were you two acting dramatic earlier?" Hinata asked.

Oikawa and Sugawara gazed at the younger male with a mischievous smile before they said, "It's entertaining to see your reaction."

Hinata blinked before blushing in embarrassment and looking away. He sighed at the two men before he went ahead to wash the dishes.

* * *

"You called me here to talk about this?" Oikawa asked Komiya.

"Yes. My boss found out that I dated Tobio before and that I met with him again. I wanted to clear the confusion but he said that I shouldn't do anything and go with it. That's why, since you're his sports agent and you make most of his schedule, can you... you know... act like Tobio and I are dating by saying that Tobio has to go out with someone at random dates? It's so the rumor about us could grow," Komiya said.

Oikawa did not smile charmingly. He stared at the woman and no matter how pretty she was, he couldn't stand the idea she proposed. She had no idea what she was asking for. She had gone out of her way to meet Oikawa and Kageyama only to say something stupid.

"You mean... you want _me_ to make way for _you_?" Oikawa asked with a hint of sass. "You want me to push aside the important parts in Tobio-chan's schedule just so he can 'hang out' with _you_?" he interrogated.

Kageyama side-eyed Oikawa and hoped that he'd get over it. It wasn't like it was important. Komiya and him were a thing in the past and even if they hung out, Kageyama wouldn't suddenly start liking the woman but knowing the brunette, Kageyama accepted the fact that Oikawa would say no to the actress's proposal.

"Okay. I'm fine with that."

Kageyama and Komiya gaped at the brunette.

"But... I thought you would decline... because you looked like you were irritated and..." Komiya gulped before taking a sip of her drink to calm her nerves. Kageyama stared at Oikawa in shock. The older male actually accepted. That was a miracle and it was as if Oikawa actually trusted him wholeheartedly. Kageyama hid his smile before looking at Komiya.

"I won't do anything with you and you'll do the same. We're only doing this so you'll get more famous so don't expect that I'll act like your partner," Kageyama stated nonchalantly.

Komiya made an ok sign while smiling softly. She sipped on her drink and finished it then put it on the table with an elegant smile. "Let's go out this Tuesday and meet at the mall at 1 in the afternoon. Make sure to put that in your schedule," Komiya said chicly.

Oikawa recalled that Kageyama had nothing to do in that day so they had decided to have a date but now, Komiya was interrupting it. Oikawa was about to decline when Komiya stood up and bid farewell before leaving. The brunette scoffed and wondered about his date with his real boyfriend.

"Tobio-chan, we were supposed to go on a date that day," Oikawa told Kageyama.

"We're just missing one date. We could have lots of them after she stops with her scheme," Kageyama replied. The brunette clicked his tongue but agreed in the end.

Then unexpectedly, Monday came and Hinata and Miho went back to kindergarten, Sugawara started working on his new workplace, and Tsukishima and Iwaizumi were doing their usual things, but Oikawa and Kageyama certainly weren't and it was because Komiya had surprise-visited Kageyama while he was practicing. And she brought a food truck with her earning lots of attention. Of course, since she was an actress, she pretended that she cared for the black-haired setter and took care of him like a proper girlfriend which caught even more attention.

'Great job Komiya,' Oikawa thought begrudgingly.

When Oikawa and Kageyama went home, they saw the news and it reported that Komiya was really dating Kageyama, which wasn't the truth. Kageyama stared at Oikawa guiltily but the brunette decided to be mature for once and shrugged it off.

The next day, Kageyama actually went out to the mall with the actress and once again, it gained attention to the point that a reporter caught the two of them and interviewed them. The reporter asked if they were dating and when Kageyama was about to say no, Komiya interrupted and said, "Yes, we're dating."

With the news out, Oikawa read lots of articles saying that it was confirmed that Japan's sweetheart and Japan's favorite setter were dating. Oikawa waited patiently for his partner to arrive home so he could explain the various articles he saw but Kageyama didn't return until much later than he had initially told Oikawa.

"For fuck's sake. Is this what it's like to date a celebrity secretly?" Oikawa mused out loud as he watched the younger male walk to his room without even greeting Oikawa as he passed.

* * *

"Oikawa-san, aren't you going to get angry at Kageyama?" Hinata asked as he showed an article in his phone with the headline that reported another stolen photos of Kageyama and Komiya out on a "date."

Oikawa kept eating and shrugged his shoulders. "It's fine, 'tis fine! Tobio-chan doesn't take it seriously." He spoke indifferently.

Hinata blinked before grinning. "You two trust each other, huh?" Hinata said as he took a spoonful of rice and ate it.

Miho demanded he feed her so Hinata told her to eat on her own since she was already four this year.

"I'm leaving! You two, go to work," Sugawara said as he fixed himself.

Oikawa grinned slyly before saying, "Suga has a job. You're a grown man now!"

Sugawara snorted and rolled the sleeves of his dress shirt. Hinata and Miho waved at the ashen-haired male as they hoped that his day was great. Sugawara beamed at them.

"It's gonna be a good day!" Sugawara informed enthusiastically.

"Oh really? Why?" Oikawa asked as he took a sip of his drink.

"Tsukki told me that he reserved a table for us at a luxurious restaurant," Sugawara proudly said.

"Whoa! That's awesome! A first date in a classy restaurant sounds really cool!" Hinata exclaimed.

"Good for you, Suga. Good for you!" Oikawa spoke with hints of envy.

Sugawara noticed it so he patted the brunette on the back and said, "It's fine, 'tis fine! I'm sure Kageyama will ask you out again soon." Sugawara smiled gently before he glanced at his watch. He noticed the time so he bid farewell again before he rushed out of the share house.

Hinata and Oikawa watched as the door slammed close and once they were alone, they leaned back in their seats.

After eating, the two adults and Miho went out of the house and locked the door. Oikawa decided to accompany Hinata and Miho to school before he went to the company he worked at. The two adults conversed, keeping a light-hearted atmosphere between them. They were about to pass by the cafe and the bakery when out of the blue, something caught Oikawa and Hinata's attention.

Two familiar people were inside the cafe in front of the bakery. The black-haired man had the woman's hand pulling his collar down and it was evident that he was about to kiss the woman but he stopped. He unbent his back and looked outside of the cafe, only to see three of his housemates.

Oikawa stared at his partner with a disappointed expression. Kageyama blinked and looked down. The brunette rubbed the back of his neck before he pushed his hair away from his face while Kageyama pushed Komiya's hands away from his collar before he excused himself from the actress and exited the store but before he could do so, Oikawa motioned Hinata and Miho to continue walking to school so the three went ahead and feigned ignorance about what they saw. Kageyama tried to chase after the three but a reporter suddenly appeared and he groaned in annoyance when they started asking questions.

Meanwhile, Komiya gazed at Kageyama and heaved a sigh. She had seen the look on Oikawa's face when he saw them and she was sure that something was happening between Kageyama and his sports agent and it wasn't just a business relationship.

It was definitely something more.

* * *

Sugawara yawned and stretched his arms.

He had a nice workplace and a nice boss as well as a bunch of nice co-workers. Kenma was there, Akaashi as well, and even Yaku was there. With how much he had friends as his co-workers, Sugawara felt glad that he had quit on his former job as an IT analyst. He hoped that the application they would develop was going to turn out good.

Now that their work had finished, Sugawara went to the restaurant where Tsukishima reserved a place at. The gray-haired male smiled fondly as he felt his cheeks warm. Today was turning out great as he expected.

He arrived at the restaurant and immediately, he was greeted by Tsukishima. The two went to a private room and Sugawara was left to wonder where the blond male got the money to be able to reserve a private room but he pushed it away and went inside. Two plates of food were already placed on the table so the ashen-haired huffed in amusement before glancing at the blond.

"Did you do something bad?" he asked.

Tsukishima chortled and shook his head.

Sugawara smiled before sitting on one of the seats. "Whoa, to think that this is where we'd do our first date, you're kinda serious about me, aren't you?" Sugawara spoke in a teasing manner.

Tsukishima narrowed his eyes at the older male before replying with, "Kinda? I am serious."

This stunned Sugawara as he felt his cheeks grow even warmer. He sighed slowly to compose himself before grabbing the fork and the knife. Sugawara was going to ask Tsukishima something when the blond's phone rang. Tsukishima answered it and Sugawara kept quiet. He observed the younger male and when Tsukishima let out a small groan, he furrowed his eyebrows in worry. Soon, the blond hung up and he stared at his partner with a somewhat disappointed look.

"I apparently made a mistake with the documentation and the patient's list and they want me to go back to clarify what I wrote," Tsukishima informed.

Sugawara realized what that meant. "So you'll go back to the hospital... do you need to?" Sugawara questioned.

Tsukishima paused and gulped before he inhaled then nodded. Sugawara bit his lower lip in frustration. He nodded and showed a small smile before gesturing the blond to leave. Tsukishima sighed in relief before he stood up and grabbed his coat. He faced the ashen-haired male and was about to mutter an apology when Sugawara raised his palm to stop him.

"Don't apologize. I know that you want to prioritize work so you should go. See you later," Sugawara said.

"I... thanks for understanding," Tsukishima spoke with a hint of coy, earning an amused look from the ashen-haired male.

After Tsukishima left, Sugawara leaned back in his seat and stared at the two plates of food. From the very start, the two dated because they were comfortable with each other. Sugawara was well aware that comfortability and compatibility weren't the same thing yet why did he try this relationship again? It was kind of distressing him even though he knew that they weren't serious with the dating thing. He expected dating to occur frequently so when it didn't happen and they couldn't even have their first date, Sugawara's dissatisfaction was very real.

"Gosh... this sucks," Sugawara blurted out as he grabbed the knife and stabbed it in the meat. He heaved a gloomy sigh and thought about what he should do. All of a sudden, a certain thought entered his mind. He didn't like it but he felt the urge to do it.

* * *

Iwaizumi stared at the television with irritation before glancing at Kageyama.

"Is that why Oikawa went with Hinata to the bar? To drink his jealousy away?" Iwaizumi grilled as Kageyama groaned and grabbed on his hair out of frustration.

Oikawa misunderstood the situation and Kageyama couldn't even explain anything because his number had been blocked by the brunette. Kageyama tried to talk to him in a messaging app but his account was blocked there as well. Kageyama decided to talk to him face to face but Oikawa left with Hinata to the bar.

'It's a good thing that Miho's having a sleepover with the family upstairs. She shouldn't be here at this rate,' Iwaizumi thought.

"Can you call him, Iwaizumi-san?" Kageyama asked.

"I can if he didn't turn his phone off," Iwaizumi answered. He glanced briefly at Kageyama before saying, "Just go to him."

"I can't. He's been trying to run away from me while shouting whenever I chase after him," Kageyama said.

Iwaizumi had the audacity to snort earning him a glare from the younger male. Iwaizumi apologized and calmed himself. Just when he was about to say an advice, the door opened and Sugawara appeared. The ashen-haired male didn't bother greeting them and went straight to Tsukishima's room, confusing both Iwaizumi and Kageyama.

"Why did he enter Tsukishima's room?" Iwaizumi asked.

Kageyama shrugged, confused by the gray-haired male's action.

Meanwhile, Sugawara sat on the blond's bed and huffed.

It was now or never.

Sugawara stared at his phone and waited for a text from the blond. When he received one saying that the younger male was going home, Sugawara inhaled deeply and waited. He kept patient and stayed inside Tsukishima's room for a whole hour and a half. When Tsukishima arrived, Sugawara was seated on his bed with a serious look on his face. Tsukishima was stunned but he closed the door behind him and kept composed.

"Tsukishima, let's talk about us," Sugawara said.

"What about us?" Tsukishima replied.

Sugawara clenched his fist before relaxing it. He then said, "I know that we both prioritize our work and as a result, we might have less time with each other. I work until 7 PM at my new workplace while you're trying hard to pass on becoming a doctor and I know that it's stressful for you and I don't want to get in your way of becoming one that's why, I thought... maybe we should reconsider our relationship."

Tsukishima gaped at what Sugawara said. He cleared his throat and stared at the older male. Tsukishima knew that this was an experimental relationship so he expected this but it was so soon that it caught him off-guard and somehow, it gave him an odd feeling.

"Do you get me, Tsukki?" Sugawara queried with a kind smile. "We don't like each other and we only dated because we're comfortable so I'm sure that we both know that neither of us are serious here. I thinks it's better if we stop this."

Tsukishima nodded and said, "Okay. Let's break up."

Sugawara blinked when he heard that. It had a weird impact on him and it made his heart waver. He bit his lower lip and nodded before he stood up and headed for the door. Before he could open it, he stopped and turned around to face the taller male.

"It was nice going out with you but you should focus on getting a full-time job first before dating, okay? See you later," Sugawara said with a small smile plastered on his face.

Tsukishima didn't bother facing him and simply nodded.

Sugawara eyed him sadly before exiting the room. Once he went out, he saw Iwaizumi and Kageyama.

"Where's Oikawa and Hinata?" he asked.

"They're at the bar where Hinata works," Iwaizumi answered.

"What about Miho?"

"She's having a sleepover at the family upstairs."

"Good."

With that said, Sugawara went out of the share house to head to the bar where Oikawa and Hinata were. As he walked there, he pulled his phone out and went to his contacts. He changed Tsukishima's name before he turned his phone off and pushed it inside his pocket. Sugawara was going to drink the odd pain away and get a hangover to pull him away from the aching feeling he felt. Once he arrived at the bar, he caught Hinata pouring Oikawa a glass of alcohol. Sugawara couldn't see it carefully so he went closer and sat beside Oikawa.

The two men noticed the ashen-haired male.

"Suga? What are you doing here?" Oikawa asked, slightly drunk.

"What are you doing here?" Sugawara asked back.

"Tobio-chan... I caught him trying to kiss Komiya Ara."

"Ouch."

"Yeah, I know. You?"

"I broke up with Tsukishima."

"Ouch."

"Yeah, it hurts."

Hinata stared at his two housemates. He furrowed his eyebrows in worry before slamming his hand on the counter, successfully catching the two men's attention.

"It's on me! The drinks are on me!" Hinata shouted with resolve.

Oikawa and Sugawara's eyes sparkled before they pumped their fists in the air.

"Lezgo!" Hinata cheered so the two older males cheered as well. They grinned widely before Hinata placed one more glass down for Sugawara then he poured some strong liquor into the two brokenhearted men's glasses.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Oh shit.**


	21. Zero Percent Peace

Iwaizumi, Kageyama, and Tsukishima emptily gazed at the three men whose heads were aching.

"How did you get drunk, Hinata?" Iwaizumi asked.

"I... ugh... took a sip of their whisky," Hinata groaned an answer as he tried to stand up to cook for breakfast. He plopped down his seat and grumbled as he held his head.

"You know that you have weak resistance to alcohol yet you drink. Are you an idiot?" Iwaizumi scolded as he stood up to leave for work. "I'll be eating out today. See you all later," he said coolly before heading out.

The sober ones waved at him and bid him goodbye while the others stayed in their seats.

Tsukishima gazed at Sugawara. He knew why the older male drank but he couldn't understand why. For all Tsukishima knew, the relationship wasn't that serious to begin with and the break-up was expected so was it really worth getting drunk over? Tsukishima pushed his glasses up and sighed. He pushed himself up and grabbed his coat, which was placed on his chair's back, before he said goodbye and left. His housemates said goodbye as well except for Sugawara.

Four of the housemates were left in the house. Kageyama glanced at Miho and saw her sulking.

"Miho, go to school," Kageyama said.

"I can't. I'm all alone." Miho replied. Her way of talking made the males raise an eyebrow.

"Miho-chi, why are you talking like that? Don't you talk in third person?" Oikawa asked.

"Tsukishima said that if Mi – I spoke in first person, he'll give me a candy!" Miho happily stated. She beamed and swung her feet under the table.

The adults nodded when they heard that. It was about time someone taught Miho how to speak normally. After that, the room became quiet again. Only groans were heard as Hinata, Oikawa, and Sugawara kept their heads low. Kageyama sighed and glanced briefly at Miho.

"I'll take you to your school. Come on," Kageyama said. Miho beamed when she heard this. One of her favorite people would accompany her to school? That was cool! She always went together with Hinata or Sugawara and sometimes, with Oikawa but the three others didn't but now that Kageyama was the one walking her to school, Miho was eager to go and show off her favorite people. She cheered and pushed herself away from her chair before heading to the living room to grab her bag. She called out to Kageyama and waited for him.

"Kageyama, can you buy her a bento when you pass by a grocery store?" Sugawara asked weakly.

Kageyama nodded as he went to the young girl. Oikawa secretly watched the black-haired male leave with Miho.

"We're leaving!" Miho yelled as she waved bye. The adults waved at her softly and when they were gone, the three men dropped their heads and stayed silent. They shouldn't have drank for five hours straight.

A sniff was heard.

"Ugh... I hate this. I hate getting sad over that brat but I can't hate him," Oikawa uttered as he as he groaned in pain.

Sugawara nodded in agreement. He was experiencing the same thing.

Hinata looked to his left with his head still laid down on the table. He observed the two older males and frowned. The ginger suddenly sprang up and puffed his chest out.

"Let's do it! Let's all take a break from work and do what we wanna do!" Hinata spoke determinedly. The two stared at him before they sat straight and listened to Hinata.

"Let's go to Tokyo Tower! Or Himeji Castle! Or Kyoto! Let's go anywhere you wanna go! Let's do anything you wanna do! Come on!" Hinata yelled as he gazed firmly at the two.

Oikawa and Sugawara stood up nodded.

"Let's go..." Oikawa blurted out. "To the arcade!"

Sugawara shouted in agreement as Hinata yelled excitedly. The three quickly fixed themselves and Hinata and Sugawara called their respective workplaces to let their bosses know they wouldn't be coming in for work today.

So after an hour of cleaning up and making sure that they all didn't smell like a bunch of drunkards, they marched their way to the arcade. Once they got there, they pointed at three different games. They halted and smiled at each other before facing one another to talk it out.

Sugawara said, "Let's go shooting first."

Oikawa huffed and snapped his fingers. He then said in English, "No, no, no! Dance, Dance Revolution... _first choice_."

"I don't know what you two are saying but playing Street Fighter is the first thing to do here before anything else," Hinata argued.

The three men stopped smiling and glared at each other. Sugawara scoffed and folded his arms, Oikawa smirked and scrutinized the two, while Hinata glared at his housemates. They had to figure out who would succeed and try their first pick. Hinata clenched his fist and before the two knew it, Hinata shouted.

"Rock, paper scissors!" Hinata yelled loudly and quickly as he held out his enclosed hand. The two older men panicked and showed scissors. Hinata stopped before he laughed victoriously. He pumped his fist in the air while Oikawa and Sugawara huffed in irritation.

"Shou-chan, you're wrong! Dance, Dance Revolution is more exciting!" Oikawa argued.

"No! Shooting some zombies is the real deal!" Sugawara countered.

"Calm down! Calm down! Let's try and get this right," Hinata said. "How about we go our separate ways and meet back up later?"

"Okay," the two men agreed with Hinata's proposal.

Soon, the three parted ways and did what they wanted to do until they had spent two hours at the arcade and they wanted to go back home. The three searched for each other when they realized two things. They had lost each other and they didn't have their phone with them. The three froze and tried to roam around but they just couldn't find one another.

Oikawa grunted and decided to go home. He was tired and he hoped that the other two would just go back home as well. The brunette sauntered to the share house and once he was there, he found that no one was there yet so he entered and went to the living room. He grabbed the remote to turn on the television and switched it to the music channel. He then plopped down the couch and laid there lethargically. Oikawa heaved a sigh. The sound of the front door creaking open caught the brunette's attention. He hoped that it was either of the two from earlier but when he saw Kageyama, he blinked.

Kageyama stood in shock before he walked to the couch and sat down. The two kept quiet.

"I know you're angry but let me explain," Kageyama said.

Oikawa grunted and kept his attention towards the television.

"I didn't wanna kiss Ara. She pulled on my collar and I was trying to stop her. You came at the wrong moment," Kageyama said.

This irked Oikawa so he faced the black-haired male with a sharp gaze. "Wrong moment? Did I interrupt you? Well then, go! Go kiss her! You shouldn't have cared even if I saw it!" Oikawa whined as he hissed in anger.

Kageyama clicked his tongue. "Did I ever get this pissed whenever a girl flirted with you and you flirted back?!" Kageyama grilled in irritation. "You do it all the time and I'm fine with it! I do it once and it was something I didn't want to happen but you get this mad at me! If I say I'm yours then I'm yours! Stop worrying about others because I don't care about them!"

Oikawa gawked at Kageyama. He grasped the words carefully. "Why are you getting mad at me? I didn't try to kiss a girl!" Oikawa retorted.

"The only one I wanna kiss is you!" Kageyama snapped back. He groaned and sprang up but before he could leave, the brunette pulled on his wrist and brought him down.

Instead of the usual reconciliation kiss, Oikawa simply held the younger male close and cuddled with him. Their collective anger was still there but it was slowly being melted by the unexpected but pleasing embrace. They both wore an irritated expression but their cheeks weren't red because of frustration. They didn't budge and kept close as the music channel played a slow romantic song.

"Aren't you gonna apologize?" Oikawa suddenly asked as he tightened his arms around the younger male.

Kageyama hesitated for a while before he blurted out a sorry. The brunette smirked before he perched his chin on top of Kageyama's head. Even though kisses were good, sometimes cuddles were better. They wouldn't say it out loud but both of them knew that they liked it.

"Where were you? You were gone for two hours," Kageyama queried.

"I went out with Shou-chan and Suga. We went to the arcade and I lost them," Oikawa answered.

"You could've called them," Kageyama replied calmly.

"We didn't bring our phone."

"You're a dumbass."

"No, you."

The atmosphere between the two males was serene and relaxed. It was like waking up in the morning and finding out that it was a weekend and you had no classes or work so you could just stay lying in bed while being comforted by your warm blanket and fluffy pillows. To add to the calm atmosphere, the slow music that came from the television reminded Oikawa of a music video for some unknown reasons. He then snorted at the weird thought he had.

Kageyama raised an eyebrow at the sudden snort but ignored it and leaned closer to the brunette.

* * *

Firstly, Hinata searched for his two housemates but as he went out of the arcade, he ended up meeting Kuroo at his car. Second, he was invited by the black-haired male to eat lunch. Third, Hinata accepted so they drove pass the hospital where Kuroo worked at to go to Kuroo's favorite place to eat. Fourth, they coincidentally met Iwaizumi.

And now, the three of them were eating in an awkward silence.

 _'Dang it, I shouldn't have gone with Kuroo-san. Why is Iwaizumi-san even here? Now it's awkward as heck!'_ Hinata mused internally.

He was drinking his water when a stranger rushed by and hit his elbow causing Hinata to tilt his glass and spill water on his shirt. Hinata cussed silently and just as he was about to grab his tissue, Iwaizumi and Kuroo handed him their napkins at the same time. The two older men stared grimly at each other before they faked a smile. Hinata gulped and quickly took his own tissue.

' _What's wrong with these two?! They're acting strange! Maybe, I should get outta here,'_ Hinata thought so he stood up and excused himself to the bathroom.

The two motioned him to go and once they were left alone, Kuroo leaned on his seat while Iwaizumi folded his arms.

"You're really determined to ruin my alone time with Hinata, do you?" Kuroo grilled with a sneer.

"I'm not. This place just happens to be near my workplace and it's where I always eat at lunch," Iwaizumi countered.

"Oh really? This is my favorite place!" Kuroo retorted.

"This is my favorite restaurant as well."

"I liked this place first."

"I was eating here long before you."

The two stared daggers at each other. Kuroo scoffed and loosened his necktie while Iwaizumi bit his tongue as he folded his sleeves.

While they continued with their argument, Hinata came back and sat down quietly. He stared at the two and wondered why they were fixing their clothes.

"What's wrong with both of you? Are you two arguing?" Hinata queried.

"No, it was just hot so we were fixing our clothes," Iwaizumi answered calmly. He kept his cool while Kuroo sneered at him.

"Hinata, let's go to my apartment this Saturday. Are you free that day?" Kuroo asked.

Hinata was about to say yes when Iwaizumi coughed loudly. Kuroo clicked his tongue and "accidentally" hit the glass of water in front of Iwaizumi. When the water dripped on Iwaizumi's dress shirt, Kuroo forced a gasp out.

"Oh, crap! Sorry! I accidentally hit the glass." Kuroo covered his mouth and feigned shock.

Iwaizumi chuckled darkly as he ignored the statement from the black-haired doctor.

"Kuroo-san, what are you doing?" Hinata asked with a displeased face.

The two older males stopped their passive dispute and gazed at the orange-haired male with confusion.

"He has work to do and you spilled water on him. You're acting childish!" Hinata reprimanded as he grabbed his remaining tissue and handed it to Iwaizumi, who stared at him clearly puzzled.

He accepted the tissue and was about to say thank you when his phone vibrated. He pulled his phone out and checked it only to see that his co-worker was asking for him to come back to the building since a fight had erupted between two men. Iwaizumi bit his lower lip and looked back at the ginger.

"I'll be going back to work. See you." Iwaizumi stood up and excused himself.

Hinata nodded and waved with a grin on his face. When Iwaizumi was finally gone, Hinata sighed and glanced at Kuroo.

"What was that about? You seem disappointed by my actions," Kuroo spoke with a smirk on his face.

Hinata softly glared at him and huffed. "You're bothering others, of course I'm disappointed! Besides, that isn't like you!" Hinata said with irritation.

"Well, I'm not disappointed by my actions. I think I proved something," Kuroo replied with a sly smile.

The younger male hissed in annoyance.

"You like him, don't you?" Kuroo asked.

Hinata paused and stopped glaring before fervently shaking his head in denial. "No! I don't! I told you that I rejected him so why would I like him? That's crazy talk!" Hinata refused to accept the older male's accusation.

Kuroo sniggered before he said, "Even Kenma told me that you might like him back. I mean, the three of us talked about this when we went to my apartment. You saw how jealous he was when I tried to get you to go with me so what's holding you back?"

Hinata clenched his hand before he grabbed his glass of water and splashed it on Kuroo's face to stop him from talking. Once he realized what he had done, Hinata pushed himself up.

"Oh, crap," Hinata blurted out. "I didn't mean it. I just wanted you to stop but I... accidentally splashed water on your face."

Kuroo laughed lowly before he gazed at Hinata with a glint of anger. He pushed himself up and tried to grab the younger male's shoulder but Hinata slapped his hand away before running off. Kuroo growled before he chased after the shorter male while calling out to him in frustration.

* * *

The group was once again complete. They were huddled together on the couch while the television was on.

"So... you two cool now?" Iwaizumi asked Kageyama, who nodded in response. Iwaizumi nodded in approval before going back to eating his food.

Oikawa, who was in between Iwaizumi and Kageyama, yanked Iwaizumi's snack and took some from it before handing it to Kageyama.

"Oi! Give it back!" Iwaizumi tried to take his snack but Kageyama threw it to Tsukishima, who caught it and took some. He was about to hand it to Sugawara before pausing when he saw that the ashen-aired male wasn't beside him. Tsukishima decided to give it to Hinata who was seated between the blond and Sugawara. Hinata took a handful of the snack before handing it to Sugawara, who tipped the plastic bag over his mouth so the snacks would fall in. Once Sugawara had enough of the snack, he gave it back to Iwaizumi.

"All of you... you didn't leave any for me!" Iwaizumi exclaimed as he crumpled the empty plastic bag. He observed his housemates' expression and found that they looked smug.

"Quit looking smug. I'm pissed off," Iwaizumi grunted.

"Iwa-chan's pissed off! He'll transform into Godzilla in three! Two! One!" Oikawa teased.

Sugawara and Tsukishima chortled while Kageyama avoided his boyfriend just in case Iwaizumi decided to throw a pillow in Oikawa's direction. Hinata laughed as he covered his mouth so the snacks that he was eating wouldn't escape from his mouth.

All of a sudden, a knock was heard and after a while, the door creaked open. Hinata and Tsukishima leaned to the left to see who entered and to their surprise, it was the middle-school kids.

"Whoa! You kids! Why are you here?" Hinata asked with a grin.

"Boss! We need help!" Taki shouted in panic as the other kids rushed over to Hinata. The ginger observed them carefully and found that the smallest one was missing. Hinata narrowed his eyes and leaned closer.

"What happened?" Hinata asked.

"Kazuma is getting bullied by a bunch of high school jerks!" The tallest one, Aru, exclaimed as the others nodded.

"What?" The ginger blinked as he grasped the information. He scanned the middle-school kids' face and wondered if they were telling the truth. Hinata sighed and stood up then asked, "Where are they?"

"At the park, boss!" The one with purple-dyed hair, Akagi, answered.

"Okay, let's go." Hinata said but Sugawara stopped him.

"What are you doing? It's 7 in the evening and you'll be dealing with high school kids. They could be dangerous," Sugawara stated.

Hinata paused and agreed with this so he gazed at his housemates. "Go with me! Please! Kazuma's getting bullied and I can't leave him!" Hinata pleaded.

Oikawa hummed in consideration before raising a thumbs-up.

Kageyama stood up and stretched his arms. "Come on. Where is it? At the park? Let's go then," Kageyama said.

Sugawara sighed and called out to Miho. He told the girl to stay with the family upstairs first since the adults in the house would be gone. Miho agreed and brought her toys with her before heading to her friends. Once Miho was gone, Sugawara sighed in relief.

"Okay, let's go save a bullied kid," Sugawara declared with resolve as the others followed behind him.

"I'm not going," Tsukishima said.

The others stopped and turned to him.

"Tsukishima, don't be silly! Come on!" Hinata urged.

Tsukishima raised his glasses with his middle finger before ignoring Hinata. Kageyama clicked his tongue and insisted that the blond should go.

"Tsukki, what are you doing? It's boring here so go with us," Sugawara said with a mischievous grin before he added, "Or... are you scared?"

This irked the blond male so he stood up and trailed behind the group.

As the six adults walked to the park, Hinata noticed something with the black-haired kid, Shirota.

"Shirota, what are you hiding in your face?" Hinata asked as he tried to pry the kid's hands away from their cheeks. Shirota stubbornly resisted but in the end, Hinata had successfully lowered Shirota's hands and gasped at what he saw. The adults saw this and they froze.

"Hey, who punched you?" Iwaizumi asked as he eyed the bruise on the kid's face.

Shirota sulked and looked away. He kept quiet while his eyes slowly brimmed with tears. Hinata clenched his hands and gritted his teeth. The other men could see that Hinata seemed irritated so they gulped in worry as they slowly backed away from the orange-haired male.

"Is it those high school kids?" asked Hinata.

Shirota paused before nodding.

Hinata looked down and sighed before smiling at Shirota. "Let's get that fixed later. For now, lezgo and hunt down those high school boys." Hinata spoke lightly in the first half of his sentence but in his last half, his tone turned dark.

Soon, the group went to the park and when they saw four high school aged guys trying to bully Kazuma, Hinata grabbed a rock and hurled it towards them.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Hinata grilled as he approached them. The high school men stared at him before huffing in irritation.

"Oi, this kid's tryin' to scare us," One of the high school boys spoke like a thug.

"Me? Kid? Oi, I'm older than you," Hinata said.

Sugawara, Tsukishima, and Kageyama stood in shock. Hinata was supposed to be scared when faced with something threatening but now, he wasn't and that stunned the three. Hinata really had grown up and he wasn't scared anymore. They felt a bit a proud but when one of the kids shoved Hinata, the men froze.

"You brats, did you just push someone older than you?!" Oikawa loudly asked as he loomed near Hinata. "Don't you know respect? Say sorry!" Oikawa scolded as he glared at the kids in front of him.

"He was the one threw a rock at us! Why should we say sorry?! He started it!" the kid said.

"You were bullying a kid!" Oikawa retorted.

"Bullying? No we aren't! This kid is our friend, right Kazuma?!" One of the high school boys slung their arm over Kazuma's shoulders. It was obvious that the younger boy was nervous so Oikawa scoffed.

"He wouldn't be acting like that if you were friends," Oikawa said.

The kid got pissed so he spat at the brunette's face. This froze everyone as they watched the utter disrespect. Iwaizumi cussed under his breath while Kageyama glowered at the kid who spat at Oikawa. Sugawara and Tsukishima kept calm and eyed the high school kids dangerously.

"Did you just..." Oikawa paused to snort at the impudence he received, "did you spit on my face?" Oikawa laughed darkly as he grabbed the kid's collar.

The other high school boys rushed and tried to shove the brunette back while the other adults tried to stop Oikawa from punching a high school student.

"Don't stop me! That kid just spat on my face!" Oikawa angrily tried to attack the boy who did him wrong.

"Calm down, Oikawa! I know you wanna punch them but so do I!" Iwaizumi held him back when all of a sudden, he got a hit in the face.

Iwaizumi's hold on Oikawa loosened and he took a second to register the punch he received.

"Oikawa-san, Iwaizumi-san, calm down," Kageyama uttered but before he knew it, he and Oikawa were stopping Iwaizumi from throwing a punch at one of the kid.

Tsukishima and Sugawara watched the situation with amusement and panic. They froze and glanced at Hinata, only to find the ginger dodging a punch from another boy. Sugawara huffed in frustration before he ran towards the boy to stop him from hitting Hinata.

"Sugawara-san, what are you doing?!" Hinata frantically asked as he tried to avoid the angry high school boy #2.

Out of the blue, high school boy #3 appeared and tried to hit Sugawara but Hinata quickly grabbed a rock and hurled it at the kid's forehead. High school boy #4 shouted at Hinata for throwing a rock at his friend's head before he chucked a bigger rock at Hinata, which hit the orange-haired male's forehead with a strong impact. Hinata yelped in pain while Sugawara yelled at Hinata to run. Tsukishima gawked at what was happening so he told the middle-school kids, who had gotten Kazuma back, to go to the share house and wait for them there. Afterwards, he headed to Hinata to check if he was alright but to his shock, Hinata was awake but his forehead was bleeding.

"Hinata, you're bleeding!" Tsukishima said loudly, halting everyone.

Sugawara gasped at what he saw while Oikawa, Kageyama, and Iwaizumi glanced at Hinata before they walked away from each other. Hinata wiped his forehead and winced at the pain before staring at someone, who was coincidentally Iwaizumi, who clenched his fist at what he saw.

"You brats," Iwaizumi muttered, "you're fucking dead!"

Before everyone at the park knew it, punches were being openly thrown and shouts were heard. The sound of slaps were also heard and lots of cursing as well. Someone's glasses broke, someone got punched in the face, someone got kicked in the gut, a man was hit by a fairly huge rock in the knee, a person's lips started bleeding, and one had a cut on his cheek because of a sharp rock. All of a sudden, police whistles were heard so the group of adults ran away out of fear.

Tsukishima was aiding Hinata but when the whistles were heard, Tsukishima and Hinata were nudged by Sugawara to run away so the three sprinted to the share house.

"Oikawa-san, Kageyama, Iwaizumi-san! Run! The cops are here!" Hinata shouted so Oikawa stopped mid-way into punching someone while Kageyama let go of the boy he held back.

Iwaizumi cussed before running after his three housemates, intent on following them so he wouldn't get caught by the police officers. Oikawa held Kageyama's hand and pulled him along so they could run away from the cops. The six men rushed to their house and hoped that the cops were pre-occupied with the high school brats.

Hinata huffed and puffed as he slowed down. Iwaizumi pushed him so he could keep running fast but when Iwaizumi noticed the blood on Hinata's forehead, he shouted out of surprise.

"Iwaizumi-san, are you alright?!" Hinata grilled as he ran.

Iwaizumi fussed about his bleeding forehead but Hinata laughed it off and kept running.

"You two! Stop talking and keep running!" Sugawara looked back to shout.

"Suga! Did you see how I punched that kid who spat on my face?! Did you see that?! Iwa-chan, did you see it?!" Oikawa excitedly asked as he laughed triumphantly.

"Fucking hell, Oikawa-san! The cops are chasing us, shut the fuck up!" Kageyama cried as he felt his stomach start aching from the hit he got.

Tsukishima clicked his tongue in irritation. Why did he go with them? He'd just gotten into a mess. Out of annoyance, he said, "Fuck all of you for dragging me here."

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **A filler? Might be... because the plot is too angsty and I need a bit of comedy in this story so hope this made you laugh. Re-reading this, i realized that this was a bit satirical so... yeah!**


	22. Very Much Like Home

"Miho's worried about you."

"What did I say about speaking?"

"I'm sorry, Tsukki. I won't speak like that again."

Sugawara watched Miho and Tsukishima with a smile until Oikawa placed an icepack on his face. Sugawara flinched in surprise as he yelled at Oikawa to never do that again. Sugawara then held the icepack over his eyes and wondered how he would cover it up.

"Tsukishima, am I alright?" Hinata asked as he laid down on the couch with the middle-school kids surrounding him out of worry.

"I think you killed some brain cells. You'll be dumber because of it," Tsukishima teased.

Hinata kept quiet and covered his eyes. He felt dizzy and he wanted to sleep but since the middle-school kids were there, he knew he needed to stay awake.

"You should go home. Don't make your parents worry about you," Hinata said softly to the boys.

"Are you alright?" Shirota asked as he placed an icepack on his cheek.

Hinata weakly raised a thumbs-up so the kids sighed in relief. They thanked Hinata before deciding to leave so the ginger could rest. When they were gone, Hinata sighed and closed his eyes. His lips were still bleeding and his forehead was too. How could he show his face to his students if he looked like he got in a fight, which he actually did?

Hinata glanced at his housemates and saw that Tsukishima didn't have his glasses on anymore, Sugawara was groaning about the bruise on his face, Oikawa was sitting on the floor and relaxing his knee that got hit by a rock, Kageyama was laying down on the other couch because his stomach was in pain after getting kicked, while Iwaizumi had a Band-Aid on his right cheek while he held an ice cube on his lips. Hinata grunted at their situation. They really looked like they had entered the ring and got beaten up by some professional boxer.

All of a sudden, Hinata recalled how angry Oikawa looked like when he been spat at. Hinata accidentally let out a loud snort, earning everyone's attention.

"Shou-chan, why are you laughing?" Oikawa asked.

Hinata looked at Oikawa before cackling out loud. The others gazed at the ginger weirdly as they tried to guess why he was laughing.

"Are you laughing because of Oikawa?" Sugawara questioned.

Oikawa raised an eyebrow but remained seated on the floor since his knee ached.

"I... It's just that... heh! Oikawa-san's face when the boy spat on him!" Hinata informed as he laughed.

The others simply eyed him with amused looks and let him chortle as much as he wanted. The air between them felt familiar but they couldn't put their finger on it. They couldn't explain what it was that they felt but it was good and that was all that mattered. They were at peace with each other for the first time in a while and they didn't care about anything else for the time being.

"You should've seen me punch that high school boy! He made a sound like ack! It was weird but funny!" Oikawa mused out loud.

"We know! That kid was probably the leader and he was loud as heck," Kageyama said, trying to tone down his voice since Miho was around them.

"Ugh... pipe it down. My head's aching." Iwaizumi spoke weakly.

"Iwaizumi-san, did you get hit in the head?" Tsukishima asked.

"Yeah."

Hinata observed Iwaizumi and noticed a small bump on his forehead, He pointed at it so Sugawara glanced towards the direction and told Tsukishima about it. The blond sighed before going to get another icepack. Kageyama watched the whole situation and wondered just how many icepacks the house had. Tsukishima soon came back with a bucket of ice cubes and a fresh icepack.

"Don't get into fights again. I can't keep acting like your doctor," Tsukishima blurted out.

Sugawara chuckled and asked, "What about me?"

Tsukishima smirked and said, "Of course, you're an exception."

Oikawa and Hinata narrowed their eyes at the weird exchange.

"Are you two flirting?" Oikawa asked. "Didn't you two break up?"

Tsukishima and Sugawara froze when they realized that. Iwaizumi smirked when he caught on to what was happening. Kageyama looked at them with confusion. Miho, on the other hand, beamed as she gazed up at her two favorite people. Miho didn't know what break up meant but she was sure that it sounded painful since the word break was there.

"Ahh... yeah, we broke up," Sugawara said, suddenly awkward. He didn't want to say that he forgot that they ended their relationship since he'd be humiliated so he kept his mouth shut. He turned to the blond and said, "Don't play around with me! You know that we broke up so don't mind me!"

Tsukishima huffed and looked away, insistent on avoiding the older male. The blond forgot that he ended their relationship. He took note of it and made sure that he wouldn't make the same mistake again.

After the event, the housemates slept and rested their aching bodies.

* * *

"What? Ahh... okay, sure," Sugawara lamely replied.

"Also, Koushi, after you help Kei-kun with his new glasses, make sure to spend some time with each other like... going to a hotel?" Fuyumi teased.

Sugawara felt himself deadpan at his sister's statement. "Okay, we'll do that." He spoke indifferently.

Fuyumi gasped before saying, "Okay... just... use protection. I'll talk to you later." After that, she hung up.

Sugawara gazed at his phone and wondered how he would accompany someone he dated for three weeks. Taking a deep breath, Sugawara stood up from the couch and looked at his reflection in the black screen of the television. He glanced at Tsukishima's door and waited for it to open. After being asked by his sister (who was asked by Akiteru who was urged by Kayo to tell Sugawara about Tsukishima's quest for new glasses) to help Tsukishima with the glasses, the ashen-haired male had no will to reject his sister's request.

' _Oh. I have to buy a laptop. After helping Tsukishima, I'll buy one_ ,' Sugawara mused as he made sure that his wallet was in his pocket.

The door creaked open and Sugawara found the blond without glasses. He had seen Tsukishima without his glasses when they were in high school but the fact that the blond's hair had grown longer made him look like a stranger in the ashen-haired male's eyes. Tsukishima seemed foreign with this longer fringe and no glasses.

"We should go," Tsukishima muttered so Sugawara snapped out of it and approached the younger male. Afterwards, he grabbed the blond man's hand.

"What are you doing?" asked Tsukishima.

"Helping you with walking," Sugawara answered coolly.

"I can walk by myself."

"Okay then." Sugawara let go of Tsukishima's hand and walked ahead. He went to the front door and twisted the door knob before heading out. He turned around and saw that the blond wasn't following. Sugawara snickered. "You seriously need help! Come 'ere, I'll hold your hand!" Sugawara spoke cheerily as he reached his hand out.

Tsukishima couldn't see properly but he could perceive the older male's outline. Walking slowly so he wouldn't trip, he was soon near Sugawara. Narrowing his eyes at the hand offered to him, Tsukishima hesitated for a second before grasping it lightly. Sugawara smiled and tightened his hold before he led the blond to the entryway and exited the share house. Once they were out, the two kept a meter away from each other resulting in their arms being stretched and their intertwined hands to be more visible to the strangers.

They marched to the optical shop with a calm air between them. Their break-up forgotten, Tsukishima wondered if he had made a mistake. Meanwhile, Sugawara hummed without a care. There was no need to worry. Their break-up was mutual and it wasn't like they had feelings for each other. Surely, they could keep being friends and if they held hands then it wouldn't have a deeper meaning to it.

When they arrived at the place, the new glasses were given to Tsukishima. He carefully traced the glasses' frame and wore them. Once he placed the specs, he spotted an ashen-haired male, smiling at him gently with fondness and warmth. The blond blinked before looking away from the older male.

"Whoa, Tsukishima! It suits you! The frame makes you look more masculine!" Sugawara raised a thumbs up as he grinned sunnily. He paid no heed to the taller male's reaction and the softly flushed cheeks the blond had.

"Since I've finished helping you, I'll be leaving! I need to buy something so see you later!" Sugawara bid goodbye and turned his back on the younger male. He was treading out of the shop when someone grabbed his hand. Sugawara faced the person who held him and raised an eyebrow.

Tsukishima stood with a stunned face as he noticed what he had done. He let go of the older man's hand and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Uh... I'll go with you." Tsukishima spoke awkwardly. Sugawara furrowed his eyebrows before he caught on. "Ah... do you wanna say thanks by treating me to food?" guessed Sugawara, "Okay! That's cool with me!" He grinned before motioning to follow him.

Tsukishima sighed and just accepted the incorrect assumption of the older male. He trailed behind him and the two fell silent again. They passed by various restaurants but something caught Sugawara's attention. The gray-haired male scanned the poster in the window and read it carefully.

"Best couple wins free laptop..." Tsukishima read out loud. He glanced at Sugawara, only to see the older male glaring at him. Tsukishima backed away just in case.

"Tsukishima...do you wanna date again?" Sugawara asked all of a sudden.

Tsukishima gulped and considered the declaration. He was about to say yes when Sugawara suddenly said, "Just this one time! I know you don't really want to date me but we have to act like a couple! I need to get this laptop! ASAP."

The blond sent an empty look towards his former boyfriend. He felt a bit stupid for considering the question Sugawara had. Of course, it seemed ridiculous now that Tsukishima was thinking about it. What kind of sane person would ask their ex if they wanted to date again in such a simple manner? Sugawara wouldn't do that.

"No," was Tsukishima's answer.

Sugawara yanked the taller man's hands and firmly grasped them. "I need that laptop for work. Please."

The blond facepalmed. In the end, the former couple was inside the restaurant. Two MCs were on the stage and people were laughing at the jokes they told. Tsukishima noticed how there were lots of customers inside.

"And now... the time has come for the competition for best couple!" The female MC informed as the male MC cheered. The customers clapped and hollered for the couple to stand on the stage.

"Lovebirds who want to participate, please come up on the stage!" The male MC called. Soon, two, three, five, and seven couples went up and the two MC were encouraging others to join in.

"Come on! Lovebirds with different or same gender, opposing or similar height, identical or unlike race, come up and have a chance to win a free laptop!" The female MC cheered. "No one else?" she asked.

Sugawara gazed at Tsukishima with determination. The blond shook his head but Sugawara nodded with firmness. He grabbed the younger man's hand and raised it.

"Us! We'll join!" Sugawara shouted before flashing a grin.

The two MCs were stunned to see the two men but they smiled acceptingly and ushered them up onstage. Sugawara tugged on Tsukishima and walked ahead. Tsukishima trotted unwillingly as he avoided the gazes of the crowd, who were cheering at the two men to go up. Most females were shouting with excitement so the blond felt awkward. Once they were at the stage, the show continued.

"Now that we have our couples, let's introduce them!" The male MC stated with eager then added, "Let's start with the last couple who joined! Please introduce yourselves, good-looking men!" The MC aimed the microphone towards Sugawara, who froze a second before he took the mic with eagerness.

"My name is Koushi and this is my favorite human on Earth, Kei!" Sugawara beamed and energetically pointed at Tsukishima as the women started rooting for the two attractive fellows. The gray-haired male bowed so Tsukishima did the same. The blond was cringing but he couldn't show it otherwise, they would get caught and would not have a chance at winning the laptop. Keeping his discomfort to himself, Tsukishima kept a calm expression to hide his real emotion.

Soon, the first part of the competition commenced and it was which couple could sing better. Two couples would be eliminated based on how badly they sung together.

The couples sang one by one and when it was time for Sugawara and Tsukishima to sing, Sugawara took the lead. Singing the classic 80s love song, Without You by Air Supply, Tsukishima had to stop himself from recoiling because of Sugawara's choice of song. Then, the intro started and Sugawara urged Tsukishima to sing first and he would sing the chorus. Tsukishima closed his eyes and took a deep breath before gripping the microphone given to him. Sugawara smiled and waited for the blond to sing.

" _No, I can't forget this evening or your face as you were leaving but I guess that's just the way the story goes..."_ Tsukishima could hear the applause of the crowd as he sang and he didn't feel comforted but he kept singing nonetheless. " _You always smile but in your eyes your sorrow shows... yes, it shows..._ " He continued through the introduction.

After Tsukishima finished, Sugawara inhaled before belting out, " _I can't live... if living is without you! I can't give... I can't give anymore!"_

The crowd clapped and yelled shouts of support as the "pretend" couple sang. Fortunately, the two male were able to finish the competition despite Tsukishima's embarrassment and luckily, they won! It was because of the women who kept saying that they adored the two men. On their way out, Sugawara hummed a happy tune as he eyed the bag that his new laptop was in. Tsukishima side-gazed at the older male and saw the bright smile that Sugawara had. All of a sudden, Sugawara turned to Tsukishima.

"Thanks for going with the flow! I got a new laptop because of it!" said Sugawara.

Tsukishima pushed his glasses up and nodded in response.

"Honestly, people supported us even though we're not really a couple. I guess, we look like lovers even when we aren't doing anything!" Sugawara mused out loud.

Tsukishima paused on breathing before he huffed and said, "No, it's because women shipped us because we were both men. They didn't care if we were actually dating as long as we looked good together."

Sugawara narrowed his eyes and replied, "What? Do you really dislike looking like my lover?"

"When did I imply that?" Tsukishima countered.

"Your way of talking makes it sound like you do," Sugawara responded.

Tsukishima raised an eyebrow and stopped walking, causing the ashen-haired male to halt as well. "You were the one who said that, not me," the blond spoke calmly.

"I only read between the lines. You sounded like you hated being paired with me, Tsukki," Sugawara snapped back with a hint of irritation.

"Well, you read wrong."

After that, Tsukishima pushed his hands inside his pockets and went ahead. Sugawara scoffed and stared daggers at the male before analyzing the statement of the blond. Slowly, Sugawara understood it and smiled with amusement as a result. He caught up with the younger male and was ready to tease the male about it. Tsukishima realized his mistake so he strode faster and ignored the shorter yet older male. Sugawara kept calling out to the blond but Tsukishima took his wireless earphones out and plugged them in his ears. He let the older male chase after him as he smirked with satisfaction.

Why and how he was contented, Tsukishima didn't know. He was just pleased, no reasons needed.

* * *

Kuroo stood beside Hinata. The two eyed Kenma with unidentifiable expressions.

"Kenma... what is this? Why do you have two kittens with you?" Kuroo asked as he watched the two little cats that were playing on Kenma's bed.

"Well... at least they're cute." Hinata tried to see the best in the situation as he smiled softly.

Kuroo stared incredulously at the ginger before sighing and pushing his hair out of his eyes. Kenma eyed the two males with boredom before shifting his gaze towards his game console. As the gamer played, Kuroo started cleaning the room while Hinata placed the box of pizza down on the table.

"Oi, Kenma! Do something about the shrimp. He won't accept his feelings about his dear Iwa-chan!" Kuroo suddenly stated.

Hinata froze before he grimly eyed Kuroo. The black-haired male smirked and kept cleaning. Kenma paused his game and glanced at the ginger.

"You're an idiot if you're holding yourself back. No one's stopping you," Kenma lazily said.

"I'm not stopping myself!" Hinata denied.

"You're holding yourself back?" Kenma questioned.

"Yes!" Hinata mindlessly agreed.

Kuroo raised an eyebrow before he sighed and blurted out, "When do you plan on saying you like him back?"

"Uh... when I can finally support my mom and Natsu without worrying about money," Hinata proudly answered.

Kenma and Kuroo glanced briefly at each other before Kenma shook his head with disappointment and went back to gaming while Kuroo folded his arms and leaned on the wall with a scrutinizing gaze sent towards the ginger male. Hinata dropped his fulfilled smile and waited patiently for a lecture from the black-haired male.

"You might like him until that time but what about him? Do you think he would still like you back?"

And there it was. The question that made Hinata rethink all of his choices. The ginger looked at the pizza box and gulped. He was hungry and being confused because of that question didn't make his day better. Hinata grunted and plopped on the couch with a scrunched up nose.

Kuroo knew that face so he smirked. "If you're feeling impulsive and wanna do the cliché 'I realized my feelings so I'll run to his arms' kind of thing, then you're free to leave Kenma and me alone and run all you want," Kuroo teased.

Hinata stared at the male and giggled at the joke. The ginger knew that he couldn't do that. It only happened in the movies yet Hinata stood up and grabbed his bag anyway. "I'm going home! See you guys later!" Hinata waved at the two before rushing out of the room.

Kenma sneakily observed the shorter male as Kuroo chuckled with entertainment. Doing all of those things that would make Iwaizumi jealous was worth it. It certainly kept Kuroo amused.

Hinata hailed a cab. When a taxi stopped for him, he hurriedly entered and told the driver to make it quick. After thirty minutes or so, Hinata arrived back at the share house and paid the driver. He exited the cab and observed as the car drove away. Hinata then eyed the place he had started calling home.

"Wah... this place was just a share house before but now I call it a home... so cool," Hinata muttered lowly with a small smile plastered on his face. He gazed at his watch and saw that it was only a few minutes before the man he was waiting for would arrive. Since Hinata didn't have work at the bar today, he was free to stay and wait for Iwaizumi as long as he wanted.

"Oi, what are you doing? Go inside."

Hinata winced and snapped his head to the direction of the sudden voice. He spotted Iwaizumi with a flushed face.

"Are you drunk?" Hinata asked.

"Kind of. Why? Are you worried?" queried Iwaizumi.

"No but," Hinata paused and reconsidered his words before he said, "there's a kid in the house. You shouldn't go home drunk and I told you that it isn't good dealing with stress by drinking lots of alcohol! You're so stubborn!"

"It isn't like I'm really drunk. I only took a sip."

"No, you didn't."

"I did."

"Look at your face."

"I don't have a mirror right now."

Hinata sighed and let the conversation pass. There was no use in talking to someone who was slightly drunk. His words wouldn't enter the older male's head because of the alcohol. At this rate, the ginger was getting worried about Iwaizumi. It wasn't a good thing for someone to be alcoholic. Sighing, Hinata pushed his confession away and decided to do it tomorrow or some other day where the workaholic man wasn't drunk.

"Come inside. Everybody's waiting." Hinata motioned for Iwaizumi to enter before opening the door to the share house. The ginger kept treading inside and ignored the older male outside. Next, Hinata immediately headed to his room and closed the door behind him. Observing his room, Hinata slumped his shoulders and headed to his closet. He opened the door and dug inside before pulling a small box out. He opened the lid and within, there were things that Hinata thought were important. There was an envelope and it was the first thing that the ginger took.

Pulling a paper out of the envelope, Hinata read the letter given to him.

 _"To Shouyo,_

 _Just like last year, this letter would be about your mom and Natsu. Since I'm not there, I hope you take care of them for me. I saw the calendar and it passed June. You're 18 now! Happy birthday! You can drink alcohol and get married if you want to! Of course, I don't mind you getting married early but I hope you think about your mother and sister as well as your capability to support yourself before you get a lover. It isn't like I'm restricting you but it's better to love someone without having troubles on where you would get money so you could survive for the week because believe it or not, there's a chance that your partner won't always treat you with food or help you pay your bills. Anyway, I'm over here sailing the seas and if something bad happens to your mom and sister, I can't quickly go to their side... But you can. Your mom is growing weak and your sister is too young to think about financial problems so you're the only one they can depend on. As the breadwinner of the family, I feel bad that I can't be there for my family but I'm sure that all of you are doing fine without me. Sorry for not being able to give you a gift for your 18th birthday. Hopefully, this letter would be enough._

 _P.S. If you think that I don't love my family since I'm not there for all of you and is always working, then I only have this to say: It's because I love you that I stay with my work. Your letter last year got me thinking since you asked if I actually cared about you, I decided to write an answer to that. And that question on what you could do to make me proud? Just be happy and stay healthy, that's all I'm asking. In fact, ask any parents and I'm sure they'll say the same thing. No parents would want to see their child suffering after all._

 _P.S.S. Who knows if this is the last letter I'll be giving. The waves today are strong so just in case this is my last words for my son (I'm sure it won't be but it doesn't hurt to warn you), just know that I love you the same way I love my wife and my daughter. Take care and always live happily._

 _From your idol,_

 _Dad"_

Hinata eyed the paper and smiled at it. It was weird that it had actually been the last letter Hinata would ever receive from his father. Hinata repeatedly read the second to fourth sentence from the first paragraph. The part about having a lover.

"I'm not allowed yet, huh?" Hinata uttered under his breath. He sniffed and wiped his eyes before putting it on his nightstand and lying down on his bed. The ginger closed his eyes and pushed his pillow on his face. Forget about confessing, he had to keep supporting his mother and sister. He was the only one his family could depend on after all.

As he kept silent, his phone suddenly rang. Hinata shot up from his bed out of shock before frantically searching for his phone. He soon pulled it out from his bag and saw that his mother was calling. He cleared his throat before he answered it.

"What is—"

"Nii-san! Mom is in the emergency room again! The doctor said that she needs to have surgery now!" Natsu's panicked voice interrupted Hinata's sentence. The male took a second to register the surprising statement before he felt himself weaken.

"Just wait there, okay? I'll take the train and be there quick! Tell the doctor to do the surgery and I'll bring the money with me!" Hinata replied with anxiety as he hurriedly grabbed a new outfit to wear. He packed a few clothes in his bag before checking his wallet to see if his credit card was there. He clicked his tongue and slung his bag over his shoulder before heading out. He went to the living room and immediately, his housemates noticed the ginger's worried expression.

"Shou-chan, are you okay?" Oikawa asked from the couch.

"I'm not! My mom needs surgery so I'll be going now! I probably won't be here for a week or so, so don't wait for me! I'm going!" With that said, Hinata dashed out of share house.

His housemates gazed after him with concern but didn't stop him.

* * *

Hinata arrived to the hospital where his mother was having a surgery at. Natsu instantly hugged her brother and sobbed softly. Hinata patter his sister and tried to stop himself from crying as well. He needed to be strong.

"Nii-san... I swear to god, you're irritating!" Natsu suddenly shouted out of nowhere.

Hinata furrowed his eyebrows at his sister's unexpected outburst. Before the male could say something, Natsu spoke first.

"You're acting like dad. You're not here when there are happy moments and what's worse is you're not here when mom cries or I cry! It's irritating because it feels like you don't care and you only want to earn money for yourself!"

Hinata recalled his father's words. Those same words Natsu spat out were the same thing that Hinata told his father. The sudden insight of what his dad felt while writing the last letter to Hinata made the male tear up. He gritted his teeth and suck a sharp breath before staring at his younger sister with pained and saddened eyes.

"Do you think I work to make myself happy? I sacrificed lots just to make _you_ happy, not myself! I work far away from you and mom because I love you and I wouldn't go that far if I didn't care." Hinata let his feelings out before huffing.

Natsu eyed her older brother in shock. She looked down and sniffed before muttering a sorry. The male looked away and kept quiet. The two siblings didn't know what to do anymore. Their mother may or may not lose her life so they knew that it would just make matters worse if they fought.

"I just want you to stay..." Natsu spoke lowly.

Hinata looked at his sister and considered the idea.

The thought of leaving the share house dawned on Hinata. It was not a simple place to stay anymore, it was more than that and if he left, what would he lose? A home. Hinata would lose a home and a family. That was what Hinata would be giving up on. He gazed at his sister and saw the gloomy face that Natsu wore. It reminded him of when he had waited for his father who promised to come home for his birthday. But he never did. He wasn't going to let that happen to Natsu. Biting his lower lip, Hinata decided on one thing.

"Okay... I'll stay here in Miyagi."

Natsu blinked and eyed her brother with disbelief before smiling with gratefulness. Hinata smiled gently as he pushed the other emotions away, in favor of the small joy of seeing his sister smile.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Oh ho! Seems like someone is leaving the share house! What a twist!**

 **BTW, sorry for the long ass letter from Hinata's dad. I tried to shorten it but due to my sappy ass... yup. It ended up long. Sorry bout that :'(**


	23. Quick Decisions

"What? Shou-chan isn't coming back?" Oikawa gazed at Kageyama with disbelief as he processed the sudden statement.

"That dumbass decided to listen to his sister and stay in Sendai for his mother." Kageyama spoke with a hint of gloom. He folded his arms and glared at the TV.

Sugawara glanced briefly at the black-haired male before shifting his gaze towards Iwaizumi. "Go pack Hinata's things. You said you don't have work tomorrow so you should be the one giving it to him," Sugawara told Iwaizumi, who gave him a look of confusion. The ashen-haired male grinned fondly before saying, "Hinata asked me to pack his things and put it in a bag. He said it would take about three bags so you should be the one carrying it."

"Why me?" Iwaizumi queried.

"Iwaizumi-san, have you looked at your arms?" Tsukishima spoke without taking his eyes away from his book.

Iwaizumi faked a cough when he heard that and patted his left arm to prevent himself from being embarrassed. Oikawa chortled and choked on his water as he heard Tsukishima's remark. Kageyama observed Iwaizumi before nodding in agreement.

"Cut it out." Iwaizumi groaned in shame as he stood up. "I'm gonna pack Hinata's bags so don't interrupt me," he said calmly before heading to the ginger's room.

Once he was there, he observed the messy sheets and the open closet. He scanned the room and saw a piece of paper on the nightstand. Silently treading towards it, Iwaizumi took the paper and read it. He stopped when he saw the first sentence. Taking note that it was a personal letter, Iwaizumi held himself back from reading but out of curiosity, he ended up reading it.

Word by word, each sentence made Iwaizumi understand why the ginger couldn't form a relationship. He sighed and folded the paper, opting to not finish the letter and put it back in the envelope. Iwaizumi eyed the room before searching for a bag where he could pack Hinata's clothes.

When morning came, Iwaizumi woke up early and was forced by his housemates to bring the three bags to Hinata. Kageyama told the older male which hospital Hinata was at and hoped that Iwaizumi could safely bring the bag to the ginger. Oikawa and Sugawara raised a thumbs up while Tsukishima told Iwaizumi about the schedule of the train to Sendai, Miyagi.

Soon, the workaholic male left the share house with three bags in hand. He kept walking with uncertainty, nervous about meeting the ginger despite having no problem with him. What exactly was Iwaizumi anxious about? It wasn't like there was anything he had fought about with the shorter male.

An hour and a half or so later, Iwaizumi arrived in Sendai and took a bus to the hospital where Hinata was at. He safely carried the bags to the hospital and before long, he was knocking on the door where the attendant told him. It took him three knocks until the door opened and a female with unruly, orange hair and a face almost identical to Hinata appeared. Iwaizumi smiled softly and bowed.

"Can I talk to Hinata?" Iwaizumi asked.

"I _am_ Hinata," the female countered.

Iwaizumi gulped and chuckled sheepishly before apologizing and correcting himself with, "I mean, Hinata Shouyo. Can I talk to him?"

"No, why?" the female retorted. The older male bit the inside of his cheek and held himself back. He had to stay calm since he was in a public place.

"Natsu? Who are you talking to?" A faint voice which was slowly approaching was heard. The girl looked back inside the room while Iwaizumi stared at the door which was soon pulled open and another orange-haired person's head popped out. There it was, the familiar pair of eyes and the soft gaze that Iwaizumi was used to.

"Oh? Iwaizumi-san? Why are you here?" Hinata asked as he hushed his sister to go inside.

Natsu clicked her tongue and glared at Iwaizumi before going inside. Hinata closed the door behind him and grinned sunnily at the evidently taller male. The older male slightly raised the bags and Hinata immediately looked down. He spotted the three bags then gasped at the realization. Hinata's smile brightened as he grabbed the bags and eagerly took hold of them.

"Thanks for bringing it! I thought Sugawara-san forgot!" Hinata happily said as he went to the bench near his mother's room and sat down. He checked the bags' contents and after checking two of the bags, he paused when he saw the box in the last piece of luggage. He opened the cover of the box and saw that even his father's last letter was there. Hinata frowned then glanced at Iwaizumi with amazement.

"Were you the one who put this box here?" queried Hinata.

Iwaizumi nodded silently as he stared at the shorter male with confusion. Hinata then flashed a bright smile as he stood up with delight.

"I totally forgot telling Sugawara-san to put this in the bag! I'm glad you packed it here! I was worried that one of you might think it was trash and throw it away! Uwah! I'm really glad that this was brought back to me!" Hinata made noises of happiness as he kept ranting about how the box was important to him and how he was frustrated when he forgot to bring it with him. As Hinata happily fussed about the special box, Iwaizumi eyed the male. The way the ginger's brown eyes lit up when talking and how expressive his eyes were always stunned the older male. Sometimes, the fluffy orange hair bounced whenever Hinata moved and it seriously amused Iwaizumi. Then, as he thought about how endearing Hinata was, it dawned on him that the ginger wouldn't be coming home with him.

So that was why he was anxious.

"Uh, Hinata... I heard that you won't be coming back to the share house," Iwaizumi blurted out.

The empty hallways became even more silent, almost deafeningly so. The two males stood with discomfort as they avoided each other's gazes. After a while, Hinata cleared his throat and gathered his thoughts before speaking.

"Yeah, I won't be going back. I can still visit you guys though so... yeah, I won't go back home with you. For real, this time," Hinata smiled warmly.

Iwaizumi nodded and clenched his jaw.

The ginger let out a sigh and asked, "Hey…why do you like me?"

This caught the older male off-guard but he took a second to register the question before answering, "I don't know. I guess I was charmed when you hurled a dustpan on my face, fed me a plate of salty cookies, and insulted me every chance you got."

The ginger snorted and covered his mouth to fake a cough. Iwaizumi smirked and pushed his hands inside his pockets, persistently keeping his soft gaze on the younger male. Hinata kept his mouth covered and looked away. The two men kept a peaceful atmosphere between them until Iwaizumi heard a sob. Slightly insecure, Hinata turned to the older male with teary eyes.

"Sorry," Hinata sincerely apologized, sniffing as he did so.

Iwaizumi smiled fondly and said, "It's alright."

"I... I like you too," Hinata confessed, "I really do."

Iwaizumi's heart nearly skipped a beat. Somehow he felt like there was an ultimatum attached to this statement. That Hinata was going to shoot him down again. But before he could even ask why Hinata had waited so long to say something much less convey how happy he was to hear it, Hinata continued.

"But," the shorter male added, chewing his lip, "my family needs me more than you do and I'm the only one they can depend on. I can't let them down."

Iwaizumi looked down on his feet and nodded. "I understand."

"If I was forced to choose on whether I would disappoint my family or disappoint you, I would choose disappointing you without hesitating."

"I get it," Iwaizumi responded lowly.

"I hope you can find someone better."

Iwaizumi raised his head and looked into the orange-haired male's eyes before saying, "I think this is why I like you. You're willing to disappoint anyone for the people you love." Smiling softly, the older male pulled his hands out of his pockets and pushed his hair back as he exhaled dejectedly.

"Well, I guess I'm going home. It was nice getting to know you. Take care, okay?" Iwaizumi turned his back on Hinata and stepped forward until Hinata suddenly called after him.

"Thank you!"

Biting his lower lip to prevent his eyes from welling up with tears, Iwaizumi didn't turn around but responded with simply, "You're welcome, Hinata."

Hinata watched as the older male walked away. He let his tears pour out as his shoulders shook. Hinata bit his lips and sucked a sharp breath before slapping himself. With that gesture, Hinata encouraged himself to be strong and to never let his mom or sister see through his facade. Wiping his eyes and faking a grin, Hinata reentered his mother's room.

On the other hand, Iwaizumi weakly trotted out of the hospital. He kept an empty expression as he headed to the station and when he was finally on the bus for home, he let his mask fall as he covered his eyes and leaned on the window.

' _Great_ ,' Iwaizumi thought, he was acting dramatic and probably looked like he was reenacting a music video with a ballad song. Iwaizumi sniffled and clicked his tongue.

After a few hours, he arrived back in Tokyo and went straight to the share house. His housemates gazed at him with curiosity but Iwaizumi only passed through them and went to the fridge to get a can of beer but as soon as he did, he recalled a ginger's words.

' _I told you that it isn't good dealing with stress by drinking lots of alcohol.'_

He started at the can in his hand and frowned. So what? Who was Hinata to try and tell him how to live? But Hinata's upbeat voice invaded his mind once more.

 _'You're so stubborn Iwaizumi-san!'_

Out of irritation, Iwaizumi clicked his tongue and put the beer back before slamming the fridge closed. Grumbling, he stomped to the living room and plopped down on the couch.

Kageyama was about to ask what was wrong until Oikawa stopped him from doing so. Sugawara and Tsukishima caught on so they kept silent and merely watched the television without a question.

* * *

"Miss Komiya, how does it feel to be dating an attractive athlete like Kageyama Tobio?"

Komiya smiled chicly before blurting out, "Sexy." With that said, Komiya walked away from the interviewers and headed to her manager.

"Honestly, Ara..." Komiya's manager muttered as she rubbed her temples.

Komiya smirked and winked at the stressed female before pulling her phone out. She dialed Kageyama's number and waited for an answer. When she did, she stayed quiet and let her former lover talk first. Grunts and someone clicking their tongue were heard. Soon, Kageyama spoke causing Komiya to smile foxily.

"Seems like your sports agent isn't trying to hide the fact that he's annoyed," Komiya riled. She heard a sound that was oddly similar to someone plopping down the bed. Komiya bit her lower lip as she hid her chuckle.

"Are you with your sports agent even at this time? It's eight in the evening and you're still with him?" Komiya teased.

"We were having an important talk," Kageyama said with a groan.

"Cool." Komiya sat down in her chair and leaned on it like the star that she was. Her manager gave her the list of things that she'd be doing tomorrow and Komiya made sure to check all of it so she wouldn't leave something out. When she found an interview, she smiled with satisfaction. She glanced at her manager and pointed at the interview. Her manager glared at her and huffed in annoyance before folding her arms. Komiya sighed and tightened her hold on her phone.

"Tobio, how about you meet me at seven in the evening tomorrow. Let's see each other at the hotel next to Orion Entertainment's building. If you aren't there, I'll blackmail you." Komiya hung up after that. While she sat smirking with satisfaction, meanwhile, Kageyama glared at his phone.

Oikawa saw the irritated stare of the younger male so he pulled the setter down and hugged him tightly. Kageyama kept glaring at the ceiling before unsurely glancing at the brunette.

"Oikawa-san... Ara wants to meet me at the hotel next to—"

"No, Tobio-chan." Oikawa instantly rejected the idea.

Kageyama gave something similar to a sulk. Oikawa pinched the younger male's cheeks and glared at the ceiling as well. He could visualize what the bewitching actress would do if she went to a hotel with Oikawa's Tobio-chan and the brunette wouldn't accept it. Kageyama slightly grunted as the brunette's pinch on his cheek tightened. Oikawa stopped glaring at the ceiling and eyed his lover with a sadistic smirk.

"Ah!" Kageyama yelped as his cheeks were strongly squeezed.

"Ah? Should I squeeze it tighter?" Oikawa teased as he pinched Kageyama even harder.

The younger male's eyes slightly teared up before he slapped the brunette's hands away. He sat up and glowered at the older male and since Oikawa knew what that meant, he pretended to sleep. Kageyama wouldn't buy that crap though. He tugged on the male's shoulder and forced the brunette to face him.

"Oi, do you think I liked that? Do you think I wanna be hurt?" Kageyama scoffed as he vehemently pulled the brunette to face him.

After a while, Oikawa turned around and had the audacity to say, "If we practice it, you might start enjoying it."

"Do you really wanna die?" Kageyama warned.

Oikawa grinned sweetly as he acted cute to avoid the younger male's wrath. He cupped his own face and pouted so Kageyama would not try to kill him. Oikawa shook his shoulders and did an "uwu" noise.

"Toowu doesn't wanna die! Don't do bad pwease!" Oikawa spoke childishly.

Kageyama looked at his lover with a soulless look. He blinked and sighed. "Now you're asking for death." Kageyama deadpanned.

Oikawa froze then sat up as he covered himself with his arms. Before Kageyama could do something, Iwaizumi kicked the door open.

"Keep it down. Nobody wants to hear you two doing something stupid." Iwaizumi spoke coldly.

Oikawa smiled playfully before saying, "Aww, are you jealous? Come 'ere, Iwa-chan! You can join us!"

Iwaizumi stared at his childhood friend with exhaustion before glancing at Kageyama, who had the same expression. Iwaizumi bowed with condolences for Kageyama's will to stop Oikawa from acting ridiculous. In fact, Iwaizumi didn't know if the brunette could be stopped. With that information in mind, Iwaizumi hoped that Kageyama wouldn't get tired of the brunette because if he did, Iwaizumi would have to listen to lots of whining and he wanted none of that right now.

"Take care of your boyfriend, Kageyama. Someone might kill him in his sleep," Iwaizumi warned.

"I wouldn't mind that honestly," Kageyama replied.

The two exhausted men gazed at each other in sympathy.

"Both of you are so mean!" Oikawa whined as he sulked.

Kageyama sighed and stood up before heading out. "I'm gonna meet Ara tomorrow. Don't stop me," Kageyama said as he exited the room.

Iwaizumi watched as the younger male walked out. He then returned his attention to the brunette only to see a frustrated expression from Oikawa.

"Tsk! He really wants to meet that star... fine, go then! What do I care!" Oikawa exclaimed in irritation as he yanked his phone off of his nightstand. Before Iwaizumi could say something, he heard a girl's cry. The two childhood friends paused before heading to the living room, only to see Miho crying on the floor.

"Miho doesn't care anymore! What's the use of talking one-person point of view if the person she's trying to impress is gone?!" Miho bawled her eyes out.

"It's first-person, Miho," Tsukishima corrected while checking the dinosaur figure that Miho's father sent to her.

It looked high-quality so it caught the bespectacled male's attention. The dinosaur figure was heavy as well so it seemed authentic. Sugawara walked in the living room from the kitchen only to see his niece crying. The ashen-haired male furrowed his eyebrows then sighed exasperatedly. It was as if he was raising a child all by himself ever since Hinata left the share house.

"Ugh... Hinata, please come back." Sugawara teared up as he plopped down the couch beside Tsukishima.

"Are you two that dependent on Hinata?" Tsukishima asked with an incredulous look.

"No, you," Sugawara mindlessly countered.

Tsukishima huffed in irritation before returning his gaze to the dinosaur figure.

Iwaizumi and Oikawa glanced shortly at each other before going to the couch to take a seat. They ignored the former couple and turned the television on. Oikawa kept glancing at the former lovers just in case he could catch them forgetting that they broke up again. After a few minutes, a commercial showing a man advertising a brand of sugar. Sugawara snorted when he recalled something. Tsukishima side-eyed the ashen-haired male and guessed why Sugawara suddenly chortled. After a few guesses, Tsukishima found the answer.

"Is it about that joke you made before?" Tsukishima grilled.

Sugawara smirked and said, "The 'I'm your sugar' joke was cute."

The blond snorted before he retorted with, "But you're cuter."

Sugawara chortled and leaned on the couch with a satisfied expression.

Oikawa sent a puzzled expression toward the ashen-haired male before asking, "You two broke up. Why do you keep acting like you're still together?"

Tsukishima froze and Sugawara coughed on his own spit. The two suddenly put some distance between them as they attempted to stay calm and composed, ashamed of accepting the mistake that they made.

The brunette scrunched his nose up and shook his head. Who knew why those two kept forgetting that they were not in a relationship anymore? In fact, why did they even stop dating if they were that fond of each other?

"If you two are gonna keep acting like that, just get back together," Iwaizumi blurted out.

"Huh? Me? Go date Tsukki? No! We're just friends!" Sugawara waved his hand in front of his face to emphasize that Iwaizumi's suggestion was ridiculous.

"If I'm gonna date someone, it would be a person who doesn't punch my brother," Tsukishima suddenly uttered.

Sugawara scoffed and folded his arms at the unexpected retort of the blond male. "The person I want to go out with is someone who can at least take me on our first date," Sugawara snapped back.

"Well, someone who can understand my situation would be good to date," Tsukishima countered.

The ashen-haired male laughed in exasperation before muttering, "You're right. Someone who would get my feelings would be a fine person to go out with."

The two men glanced at each other icily. Tsukishima clicked his tongue while Sugawara raised an eyebrow. The two sass-masters seemed to have started an argument.

* * *

Two days after Hinata left the share house, something unfortunate happened to Tsukishima and Sugawara. They were asked by Kayo, Sugawara's mother, to meet again since she wanted to talk about something but by the time they got to the meeting place, they received a message from Kayo, saying that she would meet the two male some other time. That was why, Tsukishima and Sugawara were both seated face to face inside a restaurant. Alone.

' _This is awkward_ ,' Sugawara thought.

'I didn't go to the hospital just to be this uncomfortable,' Tsukishima internally groaned, if that this was even possible.

All of a sudden, someone's stomach growled.

Sugawara sweetly smiled at the blond while Tsukishima sent an acknowledging nod.

"Tsukishima, are you hungry?" Sugawara smiled before adding, "Go buy something to eat."

"I'm not hungry. I don't need to eat," Tsukishima responded.

"Yes, you're free to do that because both of us know that you were the one whose stomach growled but sure, let's pretend that it's actually me who's hungry," Sugawara snapped back.

Tsukishima eyed the older male before standing up. He walked to the counter and the ashen-haired male merely followed the blond with his eyes.

Once Tsukishima was finally in line, a man who was staggering dangerously appeared and stepped in front of the blond. Tsukishima looked at the stranger with a hint of irritation.

"Excuse me, there's a line," Tsukishima muttered.

The stranger faced him and clicked his tongue. "Oi, lemme go first," the man slurred.

"But there's a line," Tsukishima repeated.

The man sneered before gently shoving the blond.

Sugawara, who was watching the blond sneakily, blinked when he saw that. His eyebrows knitted together as he kept observing.

"I just got dumped by my girlfriend so don't add to my problems!" the clearly drunk man shouted, causing people to watch him.

Tsukishima grunted under his breath when he realized what this meant. The man saw Tsukishima's expression and got annoyed by it so he intended to push him again but someone tapped his shoulder. This caused the drunk male to look back, only to see a certain gray-haired male with a sweet smile.

"Excuse me, I got rejected today so let me go first," Sugawara spoke with a sugary tone.

"What? I was in line first!" shouted the drunk man.

"Oh really? I saw you cut in line so I thought I could do the same," Sugawara retorted.

This only irked the intoxicated man further so he gently pushed Sugawara but instead of keeping himself standing, Sugawara dropped to the floor with full intention of causing a scene.

"No... my legs..." Sugawara murmured with dread, "I can't move and it's because the drunk guy pushed me."

"What? I gently pushed you!" the guy said.

"Shut up! I have diabetes and my legs might get amputated soon! Do you think I want to make my legs stop working?!" Sugawara retaliated with frustration.

Meanwhile, Tsukishima eyed the gray-haired male with disbelief and amusement. Sugawara noticed this but he kept himself from winking so he could keep acting like he was in pain.

"Ah! My legs! They aren't working anymore! What should I do?!" Sugawara dramatically whined as he internally thanked Oikawa for being a reference on how to be a dramatic person. Suddenly, Sugawara glared at the drunk guy and said, "I'll sue you. I really will."

"I just pushed you!" the guy yelled in annoyance.

"A small push is all that's needed to create a tragedy! I'll sue you unless," Sugawara paused for dramatic effects, "you apologize to the blond man who you shoved earlier."

Tsukishima hid his chortle when he heard that. Sugawara struggled to stop himself from grinning deviously but luckily, he succeeded in making the drunk guy face the blond.

"Sorry, man! I shouldn't have pushed you earlier! I apologize so do something about that weird guy with the diabetes so he won't sue me!"

Hearing the apology, Tsukishima smirked and folded his arms before he muttered, "I don't know... you did make his legs stop working."

The drunk guy groaned and kept apologizing and in the end, Tsukishima finally agreed and told Sugawara to not sue the stranger.

After that, Sugawara gasped and said, "Oh! My legs are working again!" The ashen-haired male then stood up without a fail and flashed a bright grin. Sugawara finally had the nerve to smirk.

"Listen, sir. That guy might not make time for his lover but he doesn't deserve to get pushed around just because you got dumped," Sugawara lectured before he sighed tiredly. Afterwards, he turned around and exited the restaurant, not hesitating to leave the blond alone. Tsukishima, on the other hand, simply watched the ashen-haired male walk away. Slowly, a small smile appeared on the blond man's face.

After all the commotion, Tsukishima got his food and left the restaurant as well. He found Sugawara leaning on the diner's glass window while chasing the passing car with his eyes. Unaware that the blond exited the place, Sugawara counted cars without a care, his lips moving silently as he tallied all the cars that drove by. Tsukishima kept silent and stayed gazing at the older male but when Sugawara stared at him as well, the blond shortly glanced at the cars before returning his gaze back to the male. Sugawara gave a soft smile as he pushed himself away from the glass window.

"You looked like you stopped breathing. Am I really that breathtaking?" Sugawara mused out loud.

Tsukishima didn't say anything and just walked ahead. The older male bit his lower lip and regretted saying that.

"At least say something," Sugawara murmured as he trailed behind the blond.

The two didn't speak after that. They just kept walking their way home without placing their attention on the other. But even though he didn't stare at the ashen-haired male, the blond had his mind pre-occupied with the older male. A soft tug in his chest could be felt as he treaded, his focus on the road was slowly slipping in favor of the new and sudden sensation he felt.

Tsukishima clicked his tongue for the umpteenth time. What the hell was happening to him right now? He honestly didn't have time to feel these strange emotions for the man he had dumped.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **OMG... Look, they're all crying! Yay for crying and suffering! Now that Hinata's gone, OiKage seems to be on a very rocky road and Tsukki is questioning himself, how would all of this end? Find out next time!**


	24. Under Pressure

Kageyama pushed his hands in his pockets as he waited for the actress. Soon enough, a chic female walked closer to him wearing shades and a mask to hide her identity.

"Tobio, good evening," Komiya greeted as she raised her shades to wink at the setter.

Kageyama let out an exasperated sigh as he pulled his own mask up. The two famous people went inside the hotel, successfully avoiding unnecessary attention from the public. The two made their way to a room and by then, the male was somehow apprehensive. When Komiya led him inside a room, Kageyama was ready to call Oikawa, just in case the brunette had a sudden feeling of betrayal and needed reassurance.

Komiya sat on the bed then crossed her legs. She smiled and started talking.

"You know that my family wants me to inherit the financial company that father worked hard for, right?" queried Komiya.

"Yeah. What about it?" Kageyama responded, leaning on the door and making sure that he was far enough away from the actress to ward off any advances.

Komiya placed her hands on her knees and said, "I have something important to say but let's start with your sports agent."

This caused Kageyama to raise an eyebrow as the female smirked at the sudden interest. Komiya unfolded her legs and stood up to approach the male. She grabbed him by the collar and pulled him down so she could whisper in his ear. Pleased with her actions, Komiya didn't hesitate to say what she had in her mind for a while.

"Don't think that I don't know you swing the other way."

Kageyama froze as he clenched his hands. Komiya could sense that the male was tense so she pulled back, only to see the glare from her former lover. Komiya stepped back crossed her arms.

"Now, I would've said 'why go for the same gender when you can have more fun with women?' but I'm not that mean and I accept you for who you are, Tobio," Komiya said.

"Where is this conversation going?" Kageyama snapped back.

"I'm glad you asked," was Komiya's answer.

* * *

"Dang it!"

Miho stared at her uncle as she played with her trucks.

"Argh! Why is she asking for us to meet her again? Why is she so keen on getting to know Tsukishima?" Sugawara puffed in annoyance. He kept glaring at the ceiling before grabbing the pillow peacefully resting on the couch and choking it out of frustration.

Miho narrowed her eyes and stopped playing just so she could ask, "Why? Are you and Tsukki getting married? Why does he need to meet Kou-kun's mom?"

Sugawara stared at Miho with emptiness before he recalled what the blond male said the last time he met Sugawara's mother.

 _"I love Koushi-san and I would do anything for him. Please let me get married to him."_

Sugawara could feel his strength leaving him. He despised what the blond had said. If only Sugawara could turn back time, he would've done it a long time ago just so he could change the outcome of his life. Yet here he was, agonizing over the fact that he broke up with a certain bespectacled male, the same person his family thought he was dating and was intent on marrying. Sugawara could easily say that he broke up with Tsukishima but yet he couldn't. Sugawara's sister was dating Tsukishima's brother and if they knew, they would certainly plan something. Like, locking the two male inside a cabin in the woods or something.

"What has my life become?" Sugawara muttered as he sunk into the couch.

Miho was tired of seeing her uncle acting like a hopeless person so she went inside Tsukishima's room, her trucks and two soldier figures in hand. She closed the door behind her and spotted the blond with his headphones covering his ears. She loomed closer, dropped her toys on the floor and climbed on his bed so she could see him eye to eye. Tsukishima noticed her so he heaved a sigh and turned to her. Miho smiled innocently.

"Can Tsumishima help Kou-kun out?" Miho asked.

"No," Tsukishima answered without missing a beat.

Miho frowned. "Come on! Miho doesn't like seeing her uncle look lame!" Miho urged as she laid down on the bed and let out a tantrum by turning back and forth on the sheets, successfully messing up Tsukishima's bed. The blond clicked his tongue and stood up before grabbing the young girl and placing her on the ground.

"Quit acting like a brat and get out." Tsukishima spoke stoically.

"No!" Miho yelled as she cried childishly.

The blond was stunned that the kid shouted at him. He crossed his arms and scoffed while glaring at Miho. "Why does he look lame?" Tsukishima referred to Sugawara.

Miho beamed and stopped sobbing when she heard that. She sat up and said, "Kou-kun said something about you meeting his mom which is my grandma actually. I think, it's about marriage."

Tsukishima was somehow proud that Miho started to incorporate "I" and "me" in her way of speaking but that aside, he was terrified that Kayo wanted to meet him. He knew the time where he would have to act again would come and now that it had, he wasn't thrilled at all. The blond pinched the bridge of his nose before exhaling to pull himself away from the stress and irritation he felt. After a while, he decided to go out of his room. He opened the door and he immediately found Sugawara looking like the world had just ended. Tsukishima was not impressed.

"Sugawara-san, did your mother ask to meet me again?" Tsukishima blurted out.

The ashen-haired male nodded lethargically.

"Then, let's meet her."

Sugawara's eyes widened when he heard that.

"Are you sure?" he asked and Tsukishima nodded. The older male hesitated on agreeing but after a while, he nodded and brought his phone out to text his mother that they'd meet her soon.

On the other hand, Oikawa was inside his room, doing some paperwork. As he did, the door to his room suddenly creaked open and when he turned around, Kageyama walked in with a content expression plastered on his face. Kageyama plopped down the bed while the brunette raised an eyebrow.

"What happened?" asked Oikawa.

"Nothing," Kageyama answered.

The brunette wasn't convinced. He was about to say something when his phone suddenly vibrated. Oikawa pulled his eyes away from the younger male and to his phone. He grabbed it and saw a message from Inui. He read the text and was stunned to see what it had.

It read: I saw Kageyama-kun with the famous actress! They went inside the hotel! Guess they're actually a thing. I thought it was just fake.

Oikawa bit the inside of his cheek before putting his phone down. He faced Kageyama with a deceivingly sweet smile before asking, "Did you two talk about anything important?"

Kageyama shrugged his shoulders then without looking away from his phone, he said, "I don't think I can tell you."

"Then... did you go inside the hotel? With her?" Oikawa interrogated.

Kageyama finally gazed at his partner and without hesitating, he answered with, "No."

Out of frustration, Oikawa leaned on his seat and sighed. Honestly, this whole athlete dating a star actress was getting exhausting. Not only did Oikawa feel restricted when he went out on a date with the athlete, he had to endure countless of rumors that Kageyama was actually going out with Komiya when they were only faking their relationship from the beginning so it wasn't like the brunette could be blamed. He was getting tired and his insecurities were slowly piling up with each article that reported about his lover and another woman, probably kissing or hugging or just being sweet to each other in general.

So instead of arguing, Oikawa just bit his lower lip.

"I'm kinda busy right now, Tobio-chan. Can you leave me alone for now?" he questioned wearily.

Kageyama observed the older male. "If you're tired, you can rest," he suggested.

"I won't. I want to finish all of this in one sitting so if you could **_please_** leave, I would be glad," the brunette snapped back with exasperation.

Kageyama noticed it, he wasn't blind. He held back his response and merely nodded. He stood up and was opening his mouth to say something when he instantly shut his mouth. Kageyama figured that the brunette needed time so he left without complaints and closed the door behind him gently. Once Oikawa was alone, he laid his head down on his desk and groaned.

Oikawa then realized that he had spent the entire day without spending an hour with Kageyama. He grunted again as a result.

* * *

Today, Tsukishima was inside Sugawara's mother's house.

"Sorry for troubling you," Sugawara apologized as he placed a cup of coffee on the table for the blond, who accepted it with a small thank you. The two were seated on the couch while they waited for whatever Kayo would bring to them. As they did, the television in front of them was showing a Korean drama with Japanese subtitles.

"No... It can't be. This result... you have cancer?" the female in the drama asked with teary eyes.

"Yes... my mother... I got it from her." The male sobbed into his palm.

All of a sudden, the door flew open and what Tsukishima assumed was the rival, appeared out of nowhere with an angered face.

"Lee Min-Ku! I won't allow that woman to marry you!" the rival shouted before bringing a knife out of her bag. How she fit the butcher knife inside her small purse, Tsukishima didn't know.

"No! Don't do this Lisa! I love her!" The man shielded the lead female. The rival yelled in jealousy before dashing towards the two. Before she could stab the man, the door slammed open again and to Tsukishima's knowledge, that shouldn't have been possible since the door was already open but he let it pass since it was a drama.

"Lisa, stop!" an older woman interrupted. The rival halted and the main couple faced the old lady who had teary eyes. The rival glared as the old woman raised a paper that looked like a lab result.

"This is the truth Lisa... My son... he is your brother... you are my long lost daughter."

Sugawara gasped, completely invested by the story. Tsukishima narrowed his eyes at the older male.

"That can't be... no! I refuse to accept it!" The rival dropped the knife. The old woman teared up before showing another paper. She then gazed at the main female. "And that's not all...Park Ji-hee..." The main man gaped at his mother before glancing at his lover. Then, his mother dropped the revelation.

"Min-Ku, Park Ji-hee is your lost twin sister! You can't be together!"

Sugawara's eyes widened before he clapped out of amazement.

"Whoa... Dramas from South Korea are really cool. The plot is amazing. Did you expect that, Tsukki?" Sugawara turned to the blond with an astounded look. Tsukishima simply looked back with an empty expression then said, "I didn't expect it, that's why it sucked. There was no foreshadowing and it came out of nowhere like it was just pulled out after they didn't know how to end the series. The drama was bad."

"What?! It was good!" Sugawara argued.

"No. It was horrible," Tsukishima countered.

Before they could argue again, their attention shifted to the television when the person who looked like the male lead's father appeared.

"Enough! I'm tired of all the lies!" the father shouted as he turned to his son. "Min-Ku, I'm sorry but... you're adopted! Park Ji-hee and Lisa are the real twins and you are my dead sister's son! I adopted you because I pitied you for not having a family! That's why... don't marry Park Ji-hee, she is your cousin!"

Sugawara gawked in shock. He teared up and clapped once again at how amazing the plot was. Tsukishima was not enjoying the appreciation the ashen-haired male gave to the drama.

"So they weren't twins after all but they were cousins... that means they still can't get married," the older male mused out loud.

"Why are you so invested with this?" Tsukishima asked as he took a sip from his coffee.

"It's good, no—It's the best. I've never seen anything like it," Sugawara answered, not taking his eyes away from the television.

As the two men watched, Kayo returned with a huge bag. The two men glanced at her and seeing that she was carrying something heavy, Sugawara decided to help his mother. When Kayo saw that her son came to help, she smiled.

"Thank you, Koushi," she said, "that bag has lots of food inside. There's a box of bento and curry. There's also mochi and homemade sushi, tempura, and oh! There's udon and yakitori in there as well!"

"That sounds delicious! Is it for us?" Sugawara remarked. His mother smiled sweetly before shaking her head.

Sugawara blinked and gazed at the bag of food that was one-fourth of his size. If all those foods weren't for him, then who?

"It's for an old friend. She's at the hospital in Miyagi and she told me that her room number was 211. If you could deliver this to her with Kei-kun, I'd be happy."

Tsukishima realized that Sugawara's mother just wanted to make him and the ashen-haired male a pair of deliverymen but that was much more preferable than eating and talking about Tsukishima and asking about his plans for the future with a person he wasn't actually dating. So the blond simply accepted the task and afterwards, the two men were on their way to the train to Miyagi. Without much fuss, the two arrived to their destined location and was heading to the hospital. Along the way, they realized that they didn't ask for the old friend's name but kept treading to the hospital nonetheless. Finally, they arrived and to their surprise, the old friend was none other than Hinata's mother.

"Oh? Are you Kayo's son?" Hinata's mother, Chiharu, flashed a beam.

Sugawara could see the resemblance. "Yes. Mom asked us to bring this food for you since she was worried about you," Sugawara responded in a gentle manner.

"Oh? Ahm fine! Ah got back from surgery and my son paid for the expenses an' ah couldn't be happier! Ahm just stayin' 'ere for a while before goin' 'ome. But me aside, your mom don't wanna give that food to me! She just wanna show off 'er future son-in-law and damn, is she right to be proud!" Chiharu's thick accent that proved she came from a place away from the urbanized city.

Sugawara chuckled light-heartedly, trying to grasp the sudden accent that the old woman had. He then wondered if he sounded like this to other city people the first time he came to Tokyo. He hoped not.

On the other hand, Tsukishima froze at what he heard.

 _'Kayo-san wanted to show me off... as her future son-in-law... crap.'_ Tsukishima groaned internally, if that was even possible. Out of nowhere, the door opened and the three people in the room snapped their heads towards the entrance.

"Oh? Sugawara-san and Tsukishima? Why are you both here?" Hinata appeared out of the blue.

"Shouyo! This is Kayo's son! She told me 'bout some guy 'er son dated and how she was proud that she was havin' a future son-in-law who was a doctor." Chiharu said energetically.

Hinata narrowed his eyes at his two former housemates before he said, "But... didn't you two break-up?"

Sugawara and Tsukishima swore that they wanted to lock Hinata outside of the room. They held themselves back and smiled sweetly at Hinata. Too sweet.

"Really? They broke-up? Why are they 'ere then? Never mind! Ah 'ave to tell Kayo!" Chiharu grabbed her phone and dialed Kayo's number.

Sugawara was about to protest and make up some lie when the call was received and his mother's voice was heard from the phone.

"Hello? Chiharu! Did ya see my son and his partner?" Kayo greeted, her accent when she was still living in Miyagi showing itself once again.

"What partner? Shouyo said that they ain't lovers! They broke-up!" Chiharu informed.

"What? What do you mean? They looked fine earlier."

"Well, apparently, they aren't. Go talk to them or somethin'."

Sugawara anxiously watched the scene unfold. He could feel the disappointment his mother had, especially with how silent the line suddenly got. All of a sudden, his mother said one sentence that made him fear for his life.

"Tell them to come home now."

* * *

Kayo glared at the two men in front of her.

"So both of you are saying... that there was no relationship to begin with since you only acted like a couple to avoid some complication?" Kayo asked for clarification.

The two men nodded.

"But both of you then actually tried to have a relationship and it didn't work out because..." Kayo chuckled darkly before she said, "Kei-kun was too busy and... wow... he just... he just dumped you without hesitating." Kayo gawked and grabbed her cup before downing her tea like an alcohol. When she finished it, she slammed the glass on the table.

"You? Busy? For my son?" Kayo dramatically pointed at Tsukishima before she scoffed then smirked. "You aren't busy. You just don't like my son and aren't willing to spend time with him. If you did like him then you would've found a way to see him even more and take him out on your first date but you didn't so who's at fault here, hmm? My son since he didn't understand you? Or you since you didn't spend time with him more? I mean, you can take him out at 8 o'clock since both of you are home by that time! Both of you are adulst and this is Japan! This is a one of the safest places on the planet and I'm sure you wouldn't get mugged if you went out late. You can even spend the night at a hotel and I wouldn't give a flying bat if you do! So what kind of excuse is 'I don't have time'?! No! You do have time! You just didn't want to spend it with my son!"

Tsukishima blinked in shock while Sugawara gaped at his mother.

 _'Oh my god... so this is what my sister felt when I tried to pull her away from Tsukishima's brother,'_ Sugawara thought.

Kayo kept her glare towards the blond male who looked down.

After a second, Tsukishima said, "Actually... I like spending time with your son more than anyone else at the moment."

The mother and son held their breath when they heard that. Tsukishima sighed and pushed his glasses up before explaining himself.

"The reason why I asked your son out is because I feel comfortable with him. I wouldn't ask him out if that wasn't the case. In the share house, he's the person I mostly talk to and I somehow enjoy it. Talking to him, I mean. That's why I figured that dating wouldn't even be a problem if it's with him."

Kayo huffed and folded her arms then said, "But did you date him seriously?"

Tsukishima knitted his eyebrows in confusion. "What does seriously dating even mean? All I know is that I like being with him. I'm comfortable sitting beside him. I don't mind seeing him look pretty while smiling or look ugly while sobbing because of a drama. I don't even mind seeing him with drool on his face. I accept everything about him even if it's his biggest failure and I think that says a lot. So I don't know what you mean when you say seriously dating, all I know is that I don't mind being with him. Isn't that enough to date someone?"

Sugawara was speechless. Both he and his mother were. They stared at Tsukishima the same way children look at a plane in the sky. The blond avoided their eyes and looked at the window to prevent himself from cringing because of what he said. It wasn't like he wanted to say that, but he felt that he needed to since Kayo wouldn't stop glowering if he didn't.

"I... so? Do you want to date my son?" Kayo asked.

"Of course he wouldn't want to," Sugawara answered for Tsukishima, uncertainty dripping in his words.

Tsukishima observed the two before sighing. He opened his mouth to say an answer when Sugawara shot up.

"We need to go home! Miho's still with the family upstairs!" Sugawara reminded frantically.

Kayo remembered her grand-daughter so she ushered the two men out and told them to leave fast so the young girl wouldn't feel lonely. Sugawara and Tsukishima both said goodbye before rushing out of the house. Kayo gazed after the two males with a gentle smile on her face.

The two males ran to the bus stop and when a bus halted for them, they quickly entered. They sighed when they found a seat for two but when they sat, they kept quiet. The ride was a short fifteen minutes so they spent thirteen of those minutes staying quiet and awkward. Their shoulders weren't brushing against each other since their heights were so different but they were still close enough that they could sense the other's discomfort. Unlike most days, the two felt a shocking uneasiness between them and they didn't know what the cause of it was.

"Ahem," Tsukishima cleared his throat.

Sugawara glanced at him instantly.

The blond turned to him and said, "About what I said earlier—"

"I know. You dated me with no real interest in me and that's cool! I accept that and I'm not angry. I'm not even sad. I mean, why would I be sad? We didn't like each other so—"

"I think I like you. For real."

The two shut up after Tsukishima's abrupt words. Sugawara could feel some sort of heat in his cheeks while Tsukishima bit his lower lip in an attempt to punish himself for saying something that would make the situation even more awkward.

"I... what? Can you explain?" Sugawara asked with confusion.

Hesitating a little bit, Tsukishima replied with, "I kind of like you... kind of. I don't really know how to explain it but it's similar to how a character from a cheesy romantic movie would describe what liking someone felt. You know, the heart-fluttering, butterflies in your stomach kind of way. I get that feeling when I'm with you."

"Ah," Sugawara hummed, "are you sure you're not just hungry?"

"No. I'm kind of sure that I like you," Tsukishima answered with a smirk.

"Stop smirking. I'll hit you," Sugawara said out of irritation. He really didn't want to be smirked at especially when his head was aching because of bafflement. "So you're asking me out?" asked Sugawara.

"Yes," was Tsukishima's direct answer.

Without missing a beat, Sugawara replied with, "Apologize to my mother first then try to court her to accept you."

"What would happen after that?"

"Then you can start dating her."

Tsukishima gaped at the response he got. Just when he was about to say something, the bus arrived at their destination and Sugawara stood up to exit the vehicle. Tsukishima pushed himself up and trailed behind the older male. As Tsukishima followed him with an irritated expression, Sugawara just kept walking with a smirk on his face.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Will they, won't they? Oikawa and Kageyama is playing that game like the two stupid dumbasses they are. I hope they'll end up together in the end...**


	25. Nothing But Love

Tsukishima and Sugawara eyed Oikawa and Iwaizumi. The two childhood friends were sitting next to each other as they sighed at the same time. Oikawa changed the channel and accidentally saw some news about Kageyama. The brunette dropped the remote on the couch and covered his face with his hands. Iwaizumi took the remote and switched the channel, coincidentally changing it to a music channel who was unintentionally playing a 80s ballad love song. Iwaizumi deadpanned.

The television sang, _"Tell me how am I supposed to live without you? Now that I've been loving you so long... How am I supposed to live without you? How am I supposed to carry on? When all that I've been livin' for is gone..."_

Oikawa sniffed and leaned on Iwaizumi's shoulder for support. For the first time in forever, Iwaizumi didn't push the taller male away and simply gazed at the television with sadness.

"Uh... Iwaizumi? Oikawa? Are you alright?" Sugawara asked unsurely.

Iwaizumi suddenly covered his eyes with one hand as he placed the other hand on his knees, further implying that he was in a stressful and depressing situation. Oikawa saw this so he sobbed and hugged his best friend.

"Iwa-chan! It's okay! I'm here!" Oikawa yelled as he strongly patted the shorter male's shoulder.

Iwaizumi didn't respond but simply placed an arm around the brunette as he sniffed.

Sugawara and Tsukishima glanced shortly at each other before furrowing their eyebrows at the two odd male. Sugawara went to grab the remote then changed the channel to another music channel. The song was luckily another classic song. Sugawara grinned and motioned Tsukishima to play along and since it was the ashen-haired male's order, the blond merely sighed and agreed as he pushed his glasses up. All of a sudden, Sugawara held the remote like a microphone as he danced and snapped to the groove.

Once the instrumental finished, Sugawara started. "I hear the drums echoing tonight. But she hears only whispers of some quiet conversations..."

Iwaizumi pulled away from the brunette and narrowed his eyes at Sugawara.

Sugawara continued, "She's coming in 12:30 flight. The moonlit wings reflect the stars that guide me towards salvation."

Oikawa sniffed and wiped his nose as he looked at Sugawara with confusion.

"I stopped an old man along the way. Hoping to find some long forgotten words or ancient melodies. He turned to me as if to say—" Sugawara pointed the remote at Tsukishima, urging him to continue the song.

Tsukishima inhaled deeply and sang, "Hurry boy. It's waiting there for you."

The ashen-haired male flashed a beam then pointed at Oikawa and Iwaizumi.

Oikawa yanked the remote from Sugawara before he dramatically caroled, "It's gonna take a lot to take me away... from you! There's nothing that a hundred men or more could never do!" He stood up. "I bless the rains down in Aaa-frica! It's gonna take some time to do the things we never ha-a-a-a-ad! Woo-oh!"

"Hey! You're doing fine!" Sugawara cheered as he clapped the brunette's back, who was still sniffing.

Tsukishima hid his smile and looked away while Iwaizumi chortled. The chorus repeated and this time, the group sang in unison.

* * *

Oikawa was beside Kageyama. The two didn't talk to each other and kept a considerable amount of distance away from each other, making them look like strangers instead of lovers, heck, they didn't even look like business partners. The animosity between them was evident and if someone were to sit in the middle of them it was as if the unfortunate person would instantly get electrified from the hostile spark between the two males.

Currently, Kageyama was supposed to be resting for five minutes but instead of resting, he just felt agitated that the brunette beside him was giving him the cold shoulder.

"Oi, Tobio! Your girlfriend is here again!" A fellow athlete called out, making Kageyama raise an eyebrow.

After a second, the setter stood up and went to the actress without glancing at Oikawa, who obviously didn't give a flying crap if Kageyama didn't look at him before going to the female. Out of annoyance, Oikawa glanced briefly at Kageyama, only to catch the small smile the male had when he approached the actress.

As cliché as it was, Oikawa could almost hear his own heart slowly shattering piece by piece. Oikawa clenched his fist and snapped his eyes back to the court. He observed the athletes who played across the gym and a wave of nostalgia hit him. The way the players looked contented as they made a dig to receive the ball, the invasive smell of sweat, the way the hands of the setter gracefully cradled the ball and how it was tossed to the spiker of the team. Oikawa could almost feel the familiar sensation on his own hands. The longing for another moment of pleasing exhaustion, a thrilling emotion that overran his whole being as he ran to receive the volleyball.

And without meaning to, Oikawa shed a single tear.

Kageyama, who was on his way back to the brunette, spotted the single drop that escaped the brunette's eye. Kageyama frowned and approached Oikawa but before he could, the older male stood up and walked away and the coach of the team asked Kageyama to return to the court. Hesitating, the setter kept his attention on his lover before furrowing his eyebrows and heading to the court.

After the practice ended, Kageyama rushed to search for his lover. He spent the whole time roaming the whole place to find a certain brunette but to his disappointment, he didn't find him. With gloom, Kageyama headed to the nearest cafe. Once he was there, he spotted the person he was searching for.

Oikawa swiped through his phone as he leaned on his seat with a dejected aura. He was then stunned when Kageyama sat in front of him.

"Why did you leave?" Kageyama greeted.

Oikawa didn't appreciate the question so he huffed instead of replying. This irked Kageyama but he bit his tongue and avoided spilling his thoughts so there wouldn't be another argument between them, especially since they were in public.

The silence was not helping. In fact, arguing seemed more effective rather than ignoring the problem and avoiding the conflict that rose. Oikawa had a hunch that it was the case that silence would perhaps kill their relationship but he wasn't willing to do anything about it. He was afraid as well because who would want to have a full-out fight with their lover? Oikawa didn't want that so he stayed quiet and stopped himself from talking about it.

"Why are you being so quiet? It's weird," Kageyama finally said.

"I don't wanna talk. I'm busy," Oikawa countered.

"How are you busy? You're just scrolling through your phone," Kageyama snapped back, eyes narrowing.

"Drop it, Tobio-chan. I don't wanna talk right now."

"You don't want to talk or you don't want to have a word with me? It's the last one, isn't it?"

Oikawa shifted his eyes away from his phone and towards the man in front of him. He heaved a sigh and pushed his phone inside his pocket before saying, "You're the one who said that. The only thing I said was that I'm not in the mood to talk right now, not whatever you're thinking I'm feeling."

"Then why do you not wanna talk?" Kageyama interrogated persistently.

"I said, drop it," Oikawa retorted, his words somehow sharp and hurtful.

Kageyama was perplexed and pained. "If you're going to keep acting like this, just go home and rest," Kageyama suggested, trying to remain civilized since there were people in the cafe.

"Will you go home with me?" Oikawa queried.

"No."

"Why? Where are you going?"

"I... nowhere."

"…Fine. I'm going." Oikawa stood up, swallowing the countless questions he had. His insecurities were eating away at him and he didn't like it. He grabbed his drink and brought it with him home.

"Oikawa-san," Kageyama called out.

"What?" was the brunette's short retort.

"...I'm going... with Ara to her interview later. The interview might happen at 8 or something," Kageyama informed.

Oikawa clenched his jaw and sat back down with an angry look glued to his face. "Yeah, keep spending time with her. I mean, both of you are popular, why wouldn't you two flock together?" Oikawa clicked his tongue.

The athlete couldn't understand why the brunette was angry so he said, "Why are you getting annoyed by this? You said it's fine if I spend time with her."

"I said it's fine to spend time with her but I didn't say it's okay to lie to me and go inside a hotel with her!"

Kageyama immediately pulled his hoodie up to avoid attention as the cafe had become busier. If they weren't careful, Kageyama would be recognized. He glared at the brunette to keep it down and Oikawa got it. It was so clear that Oikawa chuckled mockingly.

"Of course. It's me so it's not okay to show my feelings for you but if it's with a certain actress, it's more than okay. It's great! If you like spending time with her so much, why don't you just start seriously dating her?"

"Oikawa-san, quit it." Kageyama groaned.

"Now, I can't even say my thoughts without being warned? Really? Are you fucking serious?" Oikawa hissed.

Kageyama glowered at the brunette and muttered, "I swear, all we do is fight these days. This isn't even healthy anymore."

Oikawa chortled before he exclaimed, "Well if you wanted healthy, you could've told me sooner! I would've gladly cooked some vegetables for you!"

"Let's stop this. I don't wanna go through another fight again."

"Who's causing this argument in the first place?"

"You."

" _Me_? Wow... I'm speechless. Well, I wouldn't be acting like this if you weren't acting like a complete jerk! Do you even know how much pain you're causing me? I tried to hold my insecurities back because I knew you were loyal but honestly, the fact that you lied about not going inside the hotel with that actress was the last straw. Why did you even lie? Don't tell me you did something with her inside that hotel?"

Kageyama froze. He gulped and looked away as he kept his mouth shut. The older male sighed at the reaction he got then covered his eyes with his palm.

"We haven't even went inside a hotel together and you let another person take you there."

Oikawa pushed himself up and pulled his mask over his face. He emptily gazed at the younger male before shaking his head in disappointment, an expression Kageyama couldn't stomach. After a few seconds, the brunette exited the cafe, leaving Kageyama alone with his thoughts.

The athlete huffed then slammed the table in frustration.

Oikawa hailed a cab and instantly entered it without hesitating. He told the driver where to go and after that, he leaned on the window. He eyed the sky and sniffed. He pulled his phone out and wondered who he should call. He saw Iwaizumi's name then Sugawara, then Tsukishima. Oikawa didn't want to call them so he sighed. Until a great idea entered his mind.

* * *

Hinata was on his way to go back to the hospital where his mother was when he unexpectedly found Oikawa in front of him, crying his heart out.

"Shou-chan! I miss you!" Oikawa whined and quickly hugged the smaller male.

Hinata yelped in shock but soon hugged back out of worry. The ginger smiled fondly before he chuckled awkwardly. Oikawa snorted at the reaction Hinata gave before tightly embracing the male. The two stayed that way until Hinata pulled away and eyed the taller male with confusion.

"Why are you here? Not that I don't want you here but I'm confused on why you popped up here out of nowhere!" Hinata fussed, the same way he would when he was nervous.

Oikawa missed the endearing actions of the shorter male so he pinched the ginger's cheeks and whined, "Why can't Tobio-chan be cute like you? It's really pissing me off!"

Hinata guessed that the two men had a fight again. Before he could say something, someone shouted.

"Hey!"

Oikawa blinked and looked behind him. He saw a girl who wore a high school uniform and had unruly, orange hair. The brunette narrowed his eyes and briefly glanced at Hinata before the girl yelled again.

"You goddamn molester! Let go of my brother!" Natsu shouted as she launched forwards, ready to hurl anything at the brunette.

Oikawa shrieked and hid behind Hinata, who simply stared nonchalantly at his sister. Why did his sister have to act so protective of him? It was normally the other way around.

"Natsu, calm down," Hinata urged with a soft smile.

Natsu yanked her older brother away from the suspicious male, glared at Oikawa, then said, "Oi, ah dunno who ya are but ya better stay away from my brother. If ya take a step closer, ah'll chop yer head off, get it?"

Oikawa almost didn't understand the high-school girl's sentence since her accent was so thick but after a while, the brunette hummed once he understood it. He eyed the female and wowed at how similar she looked to Hinata.

"She looks like you... she could pass as your twin, Shou-chan," Oikawa mused out loud.

"Heh! Many people say so." Hinata rubbed the back of his neck.

Natsu observed her brother then Oikawa. Her eyes suddenly widened. "No way... don't tell me that this is another suitor of yours... Ah don' even have boys who like me and ya got attractive men lining up for ya?! Wah! That's crazy, nii-san!" Natsu voiced her amazement.

Hinata blushed in embarrassment as Oikawa snorted at how adorable the siblings were.

"Still! Just because yer pleasing to the eye doesn't mean that ah'll let ya date my bro! Ya better make yerself look better before ya get my brother!" Natsu glared.

"I don't wanna date your brother. I'm dating someone else," Oikawa retorted.

"Eh? Who?" Natsu titled her head to the side.

"Natsu, do you remember Kageyama?" Hinata asked.

Natsu's eyes lit up when she heard the name. Oikawa narrowed his eyes when he saw the strange reaction.

"Him? The person I said I'll marry?!"

Oikawa huffed out of irritation before saying, "Dream on. I'm dating him."

"What? No way!" Natsu pulled away and glared at the brunette.

Soon, they erupted into an argument and Hinata was forced to suffer through an endless barrage of roasting and shade throwing. Hinata took a deep breath before he shut the two up. Afterwards, the three decided to head to the room where Hinata's mother stayed in and although the brunette chose not to go, the two gingers were stubborn enough to pull the tall male in with them. Once they were inside the room, Chiharu sweetly smiled at them and welcomed them inside.

"You two should try and speak like city people. Other people doesn't understand you that much," Hinata urged and since he asked, his two family member agreed with him and tried to make their words understandable, much to Oikawa's relief.

"So, Oikawa-kun. Why are you here? You look down," Chiharu queried.

"Uh... it's nothing," Oikawa politely answered, masking his usual petty attitude since he was in front of an adult.

"Lies! He said he was sad about his boyfriend since they had a fight!" Natsu dropped the tea.

Oikawa was almost willing to throw the kid out of the room if only he wasn't a polite and civilized individual.

Chiharu was stunned to find out that the brunette swung the other way but she didn't ask any questions about it and instead said, "Fights are normal when you're in a relationship! What kind of topic did you even argue about?"

"It's about infidelity," Natsu answered for Oikawa, much to the brunette's dismay.

Hinata watched in the sideline as he made tea for his mother.

"It isn't about that! It's just," Oikawa faltered before he sucked a sharp breath and said, "I was told that he went inside a hotel with a woman and I asked him about it but he lied and said he didn't go inside the hotel. It isn't like I suspect he's cheating since I know he's a loyal person! I'm just worried that maybe he did something with the woman!"

Chiharu blinked, Natsu gawked, while Hinata almost spilled the tea he was making. The three gingers gaped at the brunette who huffed and puffed while glaring at the wall. Chiharu and Hinata glanced at each other before the old woman chortled and laughed heartily. The two males were confused and kept staring at the old woman with a puzzled expression plastered on their face. Natsu took a sip from her juice as she observed the events unfold.

"My, your problem is making me nostalgic. It's like an argument I used to have with my late husband." Chiharu smiled at her son then added, "Come to think of it, Shouyo complained about something that sounded like how I complained about my husband! What was it about?"

Hinata became pale as he shouted on the top of his lungs to stop his mother from saying something that would definitely make him cringe. Chiharu let her son shout and when Hinata finished, she smiled sweetly.

"Shouyo complained about this man who drinks his stress away. He would go and say 'he never listens', 'he drinks too much', 'isn't he worried about his health?', 'he's wasting money over alcohol', 'he comes home late and drunk', 'what would happen if he gets in an accident while coming home drunk?' and he even says 'there's a kid in the house, shouldn't he be ashamed to show up smelling like alcohol?' Heh, it reminds me of when my husband wasn't a seaman yet and would get home late and drunk."

Oikawa gazed at Hinata, realizing who the ginger was complaining about. The brunette then noticed that Hinata looked like he wanted to bury himself fifteen feet under and this caused Oikawa to chortle. Natsu scanned her brother and lowered her gaze. She puffed her chest out as she ignored the thought she had. On the other hand, Chiharu was happy that her son had found someone who seemed like a good friend. After her son graduated, she was worried that Hinata wouldn't find another respectable group of friends. Chiharu was pleased to find out that she was wrong. She then recalled her husband and sighed melancholically.

"You two, if there's someone you love, make sure to say it to them before it's too late. It's common advice but it's the best advice there is." Chiharu stared out of the window and noticed the orange hues of the sky. It must be going on 6 o'clock now.

Natsu frowned and stood up. She said, "I'm going home. I need to get something."

"Do you need help?" Hinata asked.

"No. I'll call you immediately if I do. See ya later." Natsu then went out of the room.

The two men were left to accompany the old woman as Natsu headed to her home. She pushed her hands inside her pocket and sighed wistfully. 'Talk about being wrong,' Natsu thought, 'I clearly misunderstood something.'

An hour later, Hinata got a call from Natsu saying that she needed help and would probably need Oikawa's help as well. Of course, the two males were confused but they were forced by Chiharu to go to the young girl so they went out without another word. The two men conversed about random topics as they went to Hinata's home. Once they were there, both of them were surprised to see four bags outside the house with Natsu standing in front of them with folded arms.

"I've thought about it and... I heard you rejecting the guy who brought your bags," Natsu started. Hinata went red as he tried to explain but Natsu didn't bother hearing it and simply shouted, "Just go back to your second home! I don't mind after all! The attractive brunette as well! Both of you are obviously whipped for someone so why are you even here in Miyagi?! Go back and man up!"

Oikawa and Hinata gawked at what the high-school girl said. Natsu hated to let her brother go but after hearing her mother's words, she realized that she might be torturing her brother instead of making him happy. Wiping her eyes, Natsu sulked.

"You two better marry the people you love," Natsu mused.

Hinata sniffled before rushing to hug his sister. Oikawa smiled at the two before taking two bags.

"I'm leaving, Shou-chan! I'm taking your bag with me!" Oikawa exclaimed as he walked away.

Hinata shouted for the brunette to wait then thanked his sister one more time before chasing after Oikawa.

* * *

"I... I forgot to say bye to my mom," Hinata grunted.

"Just text her," Oikawa lazily suggested.

The two were on the train and they were nearing home. It was nearing 8 in the evening and they were just minutes away from Tokyo. The two kept silent, anxious about what they should do and why they decided to go home instead of staying in Miyagi to ease their minds. Then, the train stopped and the two men internally panicked. They stood up and they walked out. Once they took a step outside, they felt the cold air greet them.

They were nervous.

"Shou-chan... let's go back to Miyagi," Oikawa said.

"Okay," Hinata agreed.

The two were about to enter the train again when the door closed and the train started to depart. The two men stood with soulless expressions as they turned around and started walking out of the station since they had no choice.

Once they were finally in the city, they saw the tall building and the blinding lights. A huge television was up and it caught Oikawa's attention. Why? It was because Komiya Ara was shown and she was looked like she was holding a press conference. The brunette clicked his tongue when he recalled that Kageyama went with Komiya for her interview.

Hinata observed the older male before turning his attention to the huge television stuck on the building.

Just when the two male were about to ignore the huge screen Komiya smiled elegantly at the camera before saying, "I'm holding this conversation to finally reveal that I'm quitting acting."

The two males froze when they heard that, as well as the crowd that seemed to be a fan of the female.

"You might have heard rumors about me and my supposed boyfriend, Kageyama-san, going in a hotel but the truth is, we entered the hotel to discuss about this matter. I will be quitting showbiz in order to inherit the business that my family wants me to have. But this isn't the only thing that I want to say. There's another thing I want to stop lying about." Komiya dropped her smile to show a serious expression before she continued and blurted out, "I am not dating Kageyama Tobio. I did in the past but now I'm not. I only pretended to go out with him to hide who I truly am."

The crowd gasped as they heard that. Oikawa could hear whispers and curses thrown but he kept calm as he felt a bit glad about what the female said. He stayed focused on the female as she smiled at the camera with a proud look.

"I might be bashed or hated for what I'll say next but I won't regret revealing this to everybody. I, Komiya Ara, am dating another woman. I will not reveal who she is because I want her safe from the public's harsh opinion. Also, before I end this press conference, I have something to say to Tobio's lover."

Oikawa managed to snicker at the woman he used to hate.

"I'm truly sorry for making you jealous. Don't worry, he isn't my type anymore. I quite like cute girls who have their sexy side," Komiya smirked as she pushed herself up. She winked one last time at the camera before the television station cut to a commercial break.

Hinata held his breath while Oikawa laughed out loud. He was laughing so hard that he could feel tears in his eyes. The ginger beside him glanced at him before smiling fondly.

"Come on, Oikawa-san! We have to go home! Now!" Hinata dashed away and Oikawa had to calm himself before trailing behind the shorter male.

The two men were in a great mood as they rushed to the share house. Forget about the ruckus the crowd made and the shock they had after learning Komiya Ara was homosexual, they needed to go to somewhere, or rather, to someone.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Whoa whoa whoa! Komiya is full-on homo?! Yup! That's the end for this fucking problem everybody! And don't worry! There's one chapters left so hurray for spending your precious time in this story of mine! Congrats and thank you very much!**


	26. We Live Together

Oikawa and Hinata huffed and puffed as they staggered to the share house with two heavy bags each. Oikawa glanced at Hinata and was surprised that the tiny male could carry something that almost seemed to be twice his weight.

The two men were nearing their destination when someone caught their attention. There was a hooded man walking to the house and upon closer inspection, it was actually Kageyama.

"Ooh! Kageyama!" Hinata shouted as he beamed.

Oikawa narrowed his eyes and wondered if it was truly his lover. He had no glasses or contact lenses worn so he had hard time figuring out who it actually was. As a result of Oikawa's action, Kageyama thought that the brunette was glaring at him so he glared back.

"Kageyama! Stop glaring at Oikawa-san! Both of you need to talk now!" Hinata shouted as he yanked his other two bags away from the brunette, who gaped at the ginger's ability to carry four bags at once. Hinata raised two thumbs-up before carrying two bags and entering the house leaving the couple alone.

Kageyama and Oikawa stood in front of each other with a serious expression glued on their faces. Oikawa didn't want to talk first and he waited for the younger male to speak.

"Oikawa-san," Kageyama started and wavered for a while, "are you tired of me?"

The taller male blinked at the unexpected question. He bit his tongue and didn't answer.

"I know that I am lacking in some traits and one of those is showing affection. After you left, I kept wondering why I caused you pain and I kept thinking about it so much that I ended up not going to meet Ara for her interview just so I could have time to ponder about where I went wrong... This is the only reason I could think of... a reason on why I ended up hurting you. I'm sorry for not being enough and I'm sorry for hurting you," Kageyama said. Another word was about to exit his mouth but he held it back and kept quiet, patiently waiting for the older male's response.

Hearing the sincere words that Kageyama blurted out both pained and pleased Oikawa. He was glad that the younger male let his feelings out but he hated the fact that he made Kageyama think that he wasn't enough. No, Oikawa thought, Kageyama was more than enough. In fact, the black-haired male might be the first person Oikawa thought about spending forever with and by forever, Oikawa meant his whole lifetime. Knowing this, the brunette approached the younger male and pulled him into an embrace. He stroked Kageyama's hair as he tried to think of what to say.

Out of the blue, Oikawa remembered what Hinata's mother said. Taking a second to rethink his decision, Oikawa chose to listen to Chiharu's words.

"I love you."

Kageyama almost pulled away when he heard that.

"I know it's too soon to say that but let me say it to you just this once," Oikawa said, then after a pause, he added, "I'm apologizing as well for making you feel that you're not enough...but you weren't wrong when you said that. You lack in some aspects but I'm the same way. I don't always know what to do in a relationship and how to make it last but I think I get it now. I'll make sure to fill every empty spot that you can't as long as you make sure to do the same for me. Let's do a give-and-take and maybe, both of us will end up standing in the altar, side by side, somewhere in a western country..."

"Which western country?" Kageyama asked.

"Canada. I saw Quebec on a tv channel and I love the place. It looks romantic," Oikawa replied, tightening his hold on the male's waist.

"Okay... I'll get us there." Kageyama responded.

Oikawa showed a small, genuine sweet smile before stealing a kiss from the younger male. Kageyama didn't resist and leaned in. This was one of the moments where affection and yearning mashed well together and they were glad to feel it.

* * *

"Yo!" Hinata shouted as he entered the share house.

"Holy... Hinata!" Sugawara ran to the ginger with an eager expression.

Hinata grinned and dropped every bag he carried to catch the hug the ashen-haired male was aggressively giving him. Tsukishima merely watched the two with a masked delight.

"Miho, your favorite teacher's back," Tsukishima called out.

After a few seconds, a wild young girl exited the blond man's room, jumping in happiness.

"Shou-kun!" Miho clung on to the ginger's leg as she whined about how she missed her favorite teacher and how she wished that Hinata would come back.

Hinata patted the child's head before sighing in relief. "I'm home!" Hinata shouted with enthusiasm.

"Welcome back!" Miho responded, much to Hinata's glee.

"Wait... is Iwaizumi-san home?" Hinata asked.

Sugawara pointed at the first door on the left then said that Iwaizumi was sleeping. Hinata nodded and sent a thumbs-up before entering without reluctance. Sugawara smiled as he pulled Miho back and told her that they should wait for Hinata in the living room.

The ginger closed the door behind him and spotted that the older male was, indeed, sleeping. He sucked a sharp breath before treading towards Iwaizumi and waking him up. He was going to get killed sooner or later but who cared? He had to say what he had in mind just like what his mother told him and Oikawa earlier. Hinata kept waking the sleeping man and after five tries, Iwaizumi stirred in his sleep and sent a sharp stare towards the person who woke him up.

"What the... Hinata?" Iwaizumi groaned, still half-asleep.

"Wake up! I need to say something!" Hinata urged. He shot up and pulled his phone out.

Iwaizumi groggily sat up on his bed and waited for Hinata to do something. The ginger took a deep breath before tapping his phone. A classic song was instantly heard.

Iwaizumi furrowed his eyebrows as he said, "Is this song..."

Hinata snapped his fingers and made a finger gun before singing, " _We're no strangers to love... you know the rules and so do I! A full commitments what I'm thinking of! You wouldn't get this from any other guy! I... just wanna tell you how I'm feeling, gotta make you understand! Never gonna give you up! Never gonna let you down! Never gonna run around and dessert you! Never gonna make you cry! Never gonna say goodbye! Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you! Yeah! We've know each other for—"_

"Hinata stop," Iwaizumi said as he rubbed his temples.

Hinata blinked and paused the song as he smiled with anticipation. Iwaizumi didn't know what Hinata was anticipating though.

"Did you just wake me up to rick-roll me? Are you damn serious?" Iwaizumi grunted.

"Why? Was it not charming? I was hoping that it would charm you but I guess it didn't work. Do you want a rap instead?" Hinata asked with a kind smile.

Iwaizumi couldn't refuse when the younger male stared at him with that pair of endearing eyes so Iwaizumi nodded despite being annoyed.

Hinata inhaled and shook his hands before clapping his hands loudly then exclaiming, "Yeaaaaaaah! Let's get it!"

' _Oh my god... it's starting._ ' Iwaizumi groaned internally.

Hinata pointed at himself. "I'm so talented!" Then pointed at Iwaizumi. "You got rejected!"

Iwaizumi hoped it was not a rap dissing him.

"By who? By me!" Hinata pointed at himself again. "But the truth is I like you and it's true. I like you and you like me too! So let's go out on a date! Get it?!" Hinata finished by aiming two finger guns at Iwaizumi. The ginger huffed and puffed as he flashed a beam at the older male.

Iwaizumi was frozen in his position but after a few seconds, he sighed and covered his face. Hinata dropped his smile as he gazed at the male worriedly. All of a sudden, Iwaizumi's shoulders shook and he lowered his hand to show that he was indeed laughing.

"God... why are you so cute?" Iwaizumi asked as he leaned on the wall with an amused smirk. He then asked, "You're asking me out?"

Hinata nodded with bright eyes. Iwaizumi would've said no for entertainment purposes if it weren't for the shorter male's innocent, naive look that made him feel guilty if he said something that would break the ginger's heart.

"I thought you only saw me as a friend," Iwaizumi said, amusement gleaming in his eyes.

"Uh... well... It's just..." Hinata was having a mental-block. He looked ready to explode out of confusion when he suddenly shouted, "I like you! I somehow ended up liking you!"

"Okay," Iwaizumi answered and said, "I like you too."

Hinata blinked before his whole face resembled a tomato. He looked away causing Iwaizumi to smirk again. Hinata hissed in embarrassment then looked down, only to see two cans. The ginger observed them and his blush quickly went away as he picked the can up and showed it to the older male.

"Did you drink again?" Hinata grilled with a dark expression.

Iwaizumi noticed this so he stopped smiling and gulped. "I... that's not really—"

"Did you drink again?" Hinata cut off the male's sentence.

"Yes," Iwaizumi nodded. Hinata dropped the can and sighed.

"Come here," Hinata said, using the same voice he would use when he was about to lecture a student of his.

Iwaizumi bit his tongue and said, "But that was—"

"Now."

Iwaizumi simply stood up and apologized. Hinata folded his arms as he softly glared at the older male. He collected his thoughts and after that, the ginger started ranting.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to drink? Do you think your stress will actually go away if you become alcoholic? No, stress doesn't go away. It would only give you more problems and you'll waste your money instead of saving it for more important things! Don't you feel bad for your kidneys because of how much you—"

But Iwaizumi was too busy grinning at Hinata's naivety to listen.

* * *

Four of the housemates were seated around the table. They smiled knowing that the group was complete.

"I'm so happy that everything's fine now." Oikawa laid his head on Kageyama's shoulder as he smiled gently.

"Look at them... disgusting," Sugawara remarked before taking a bite of his sandwich.

"You're just jealous. Why don't you just say yes to Tsukki so you won't be so bitter?" Oikawa countered.

"I agree with Oikawa-san," Tsukishima nodded.

Oikawa smiled foxily at the blond who simply smirked towards him. Kageyama paid no heed to the usual occurrences as he ate his food. Sugawara gasped as he recalled something, catching everyone's attention.

"Kageyama... since when did you know that Komiya Ara's full homo?" Sugawara asked.

"Since we talked inside a hotel room," Kageyama answered.

Oikawa was still salty about Komiya being the first person Kageyama went inside a hotel with so he clicked his tongue and asked, "Was that the only thing you did?"

Kageyama paused on eating to think. Once he got an answer, he said, "We talked about how jealous her girlfriend was."

Oikawa's eyes widened when he heard that. "I'm curious, who's her girlfriend?" Oikawa queried.

"Her manager," was Kageyama's straight answer.

Oikawa hummed as he grasped the knowledge. He then had a slip of the tongue. "So that's why Komiya's manager kept glaring at you..."

Kageyama halted and sent daggers towards Oikawa with his eyes. "Why do you know that? Were you staring at her all the time?" Kageyama grilled.

Tsukishima and Sugawara snickered then Sugawara mused out loud, "You dug your own grave, Oikawa."

The brunette just gulped as he smiled affectionately. "I can explain." Oikawa raised his hands.

As the conversation between the four occurred, Iwaizumi came out of his room. The four stopped talking and glanced at Iwaizumi. They all had a knowing look and it pissed Iwaizumi off.

"Iwa-chan... even though you and Shou-chan are dating, why do you look depressed?" asked the brunette.

"He banned me from drinking my stress away... for one month," Iwaizumi muttered as he sat down in his usual seat.

Kageyama gave him a plate, which the always-stressed male accepted. Sugawara sent his sympathies while Oikawa was being the usual useless friend by laughing at his childhood friend's misfortune. Iwaizumi was ready to hurl a fork on the brunette's direction if only he wasn't a respectful person who respected the presence of the food. Before Tsukishima could say something, Hinata exited his room with an empty look.

"Good morning." Hinata bowed and when he accidentally met Iwaizumi's gaze, he bowed lowly before saying, "I'm going to the school with Miho. I'll see you guys later."

The rest of the housemates were perplexed.

"What was that? Shou-chan looked nervous," Oikawa commented.

Tsukishima and Sugawara glanced at each other before smiling with deviousness.

"Maybe he regretted asking Iwaizumi out?" Sugawara mused out loud.

This made the said man freeze in shock.

"What? Is that possible?" Oikawa asked, catching on with the two men's plan.

Sugawara hid his smirk and nodded. Oikawa played along and gasped.

"Oh, Iwa-chan... I pity you. Nothing hurts more than someone regretting on asking you out." Oikawa dramatically placed a hand on his forehead as he shed a tear. He eyed his childhood friend and saw the dazed expression of Iwaizumi. Oikawa almost burst out laughing.

"You mean... he doesn't want to date me after all?" Iwaizumi asked. He then glared at Oikawa. "Stop fooling around. That can't be." Iwaizumi kept eating and ignored the others.

The three schemers frowned when they realized that Iwaizumi didn't buy the prank. After eating breakfast, the group cleaned the table and washed the dishes before heading out. They all went their separate ways and once they did, Iwaizumi was left marching his way towards his work. He had one thought that revolved around in his mind.

"Does he... actually regret asking me out? No way. That can't be possible... but he did reject me first so he might... argh!" Iwaizumi face-palmed then grunted.

The day then quickly ended and it was time to go home. Since Iwaizumi could leave early, he decided to do one thing. Fetch Hinata from his work. So there he was, making his way to the school where the ginger worked and by the time he was in the bus bound for the school, he realized one thing.

Miho would be there and she'd ruin the mood. So Iwaizumi decided to fetch Hinata some other time.

When he got home, Iwaizumi changed clothes and sat in the couch where Sugawara and Oikawa were watching a Korean drama with Japanese subtitles. Tsukishima and Kageyama watched as well but unlike the two men who were invested, the two younger men weren't.

"Ji-hee!" The male lead grabbed the female lead away from a car and once he did, he ended up face to face with the female, their bodies close to each other.

Iwaizumi, Tsukishima, and Kageyama thought it was cliché as hell but Sugawara and Oikawa were amazed by it.

"Min-Ku-ssi..." The female lead muttered as she pushed the man away.

Then Hinata arrived home with Miho and when he saw the series on the television, he gasped.

"It's Temptation of the Heirs! You watch that too?!" Hinata enthusiastically asked.

Oikawa gasped while Sugawara beamed.

"You love it too, right?" Oikawa responded and when Hinata nodded, the three celebrated as they watched the drama with their whole attention.

Meanwhile, Iwaizumi, Kageyama, and Tsukishima blankly stared at the three invested men. They couldn't get why the three men liked it but at least they were happy.

"Min-Ku-ya! I won't accept her! You are mine only!" The girl who looked like the villain tried to force a kiss on the male lead and when they did kiss, the female lead caught them. The two stopped kissing and the male glanced to his side, only to see the female lead crying.

"Ji-hee-ssi..." The man muttered as the woman ran away. He chased after the female and grabbed her wrist. He then pulled her and made the woman face her and after that, he kissed the female lead.

"Waaaah! They kissed! Oh my god, they kissed! They finally kissed!" Hinata repeatedly punched whoever was beside him, which was Iwaizumi.

"Tobio-chan! Did you see that?! They kissed! Do you see how romantic that is?!" Oikawa shook Kageyama's shoulders because of the giddiness he felt.

"I can't believe it... I've watched it three times already but it still looks romantic to me... this is great," Sugawara muttered in utter astonishment before he grabbed the pillow behind him and hit whoever was beside him, which was Tsukishima.

The three men who had to experience their respective partner's temporary seizures of glee felt confused. Wasn't forcing a kiss a bad thing? Why did it seem like the three men liked it?

The housemates kept watching the drama and unfortunately, the three confused men found themselves curious on the drama's plot. After the show ended, the group went back to their respective rooms but two people were left in the living room and it was none other than the new and awkward couple.

The distance between the two was suffocating and Iwaizumi was having none of it. He secretly glanced at the ginger male and saw that his cheeks were flushed. The realization that Hinata didn't regret asking him out dawned Iwaizumi. He sighed in relief and leaned back on the couch. He glanced at Hinata without hiding the fact that he was staring at the younger male. After a lot of thinking, Iwaizumi decided to make the first move otherwise, nothing would happen.

So he grabbed the Hinata's hand and to his surprise, the ginger's fingers automatically intertwined with his. This amused the older male.

"Why are you so nervous? This isn't your first time dating someone," Iwaizumi mused.

"Well... it's because I don't know where to start. It's been a while since I've dated," Hinata spoke softly, avoiding his lover's eyes but returning it back after a while only to look away again.

'This display of coyness really makes him cute,' Iwaizumi thought.

All of a sudden, Iwaizumi raised the back of Hinata's hand near his mouth to kiss it. Of course, Hinata went red. Who wouldn't?

"It's fine with me if you decide to take the relationship at your own pace. Nobody's rushing you so we can just take it slow," Iwaizumi blurted out.

"Okay... thanks." Hinata struggled to find a casual reply then out of the blue, he frantically said, "I just realized that I might've looked like I wanted to be forcefully kissed earlier but don't take it seriously. I don't actually wanna be forced into kissing. I swear, I don't!"

"Calm down! I won't do it! That's sexual harassment and I don't wanna do a crime like that!" Iwaizumi replied.

"You better not!" Hinata countered as he huffed in nervousness. Now that the awkwardness was gone, Hinata wanted to ask something he was aching to say. "Actually... after all that romantic scene, can I ask something?" Hinata questioned.

"What?"

"Can we... I dunno... kissorsomething?" Hinata jumbled his words in nervousness.

Iwaizumi tried to think that it wasn't what he thought it was.

Hinata sulked and looked at the ceiling before huffing with resolve. He faced Iwaizumi and grabbed his cheeks before pulling him down. After stealing a peck, Hinata said, "I." After the second peck, he said, "Want a." After the third, he said, "Kiss."

When he stopped, Hinata gazed at the older male. "I want a kiss and not a peck. Lezgo?" Hinata queried, his face childlike and pure, totally different from what his words meant.

Iwaizumi was momentarily shocked. It seemed that Hinata was not as innocent as he had first thought he was. With how things were escalating, Iwaizumi pulled the younger close to him until multiple doors slammed open.

"No. No! Hell no!" Oikawa clapped his hands as he shouted about decency and morality.

Kageyama was glaring at Iwaizumi and was motioning him to let go of Hinata.

"Oi, Iwaizumi... do you think you can touch my son in front of me? In front of my food?!" Sugawara raised his ice cream as he raised an eyebrow.

Tsukishima pushed his glasses up and folded his arms.

Hinata chuckled emptily as Iwaizumi let go of the ginger and wondered what kind of friends he had. Honestly, he and Iwaizumi should've gone inside a room and locked the door knob instead of staying in the living room in the first place.

As the moment unfolded, Miho suddenly caught everyone's attention when she shouted, "Help! Kazuma-kun is getting bullied by high-school kids again!"

The men froze when they recalled what happened when they tried to help the middle-school kids. They hesitated but when Miho bawled her eyes out, Sugawara urged everyone to go and help, Tsukishima grunted, Kageyama cussed under his breath, and Oikawa whined.

Iwaizumi turned to Hinata and asked, "I'll help Miho but after I do, can you at least give me a can of beer?"

Hinata smiled sweetly before saying, "No."

Iwaizumi felt himself rotting. Honestly, what a great share house he lived in. It truly made him satisfied with his life... not!

As the others gave their varied reactions, Hinata showed a contented grin. His housemates sure were problematic but they lived together, what else could he do but just accept their idiosyncrasies?

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Ahhhhh! It's done! The ending felt so fine by me so I hope you like it too ~~~**

 **Since I'm not really that good with goodbye all I wamma say is... thank you for following this fanfic! Thank you very much! I appreciate it! I really wish that you enjoyed this satirical comedy because I loved writin this! For real!**

 **Anyway, thank you again and see you some other time!**


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